kentuckykernel September 2026
Stringing us along
Letter from the Editor: More to telling the story I still remember sitting across from her, questions in hand, listening to every word. She had lost someone close to her, and she was letting me, a freshman, tell her story to the world. I was scared of getting it wrong.
Not the facts; I could double-check names, dates, spellings. I was scared of writing her grief the way I saw it, instead of how she lived it. That story taught me more than anything in journalism. The work happens before you write. It happens with time and trust, taking the care to understand someone before asking about the toughest times in their lives. My goal wasn’t to interpret her loss, but to write the story the way she would have. I’ve carried that lesson through every story since. When I joined the Kentucky Kernel as a news reporter, everything I did felt like it was for my own success. Over time, that feeling turned into something else: being part of a community. The Kernel became a place that
encouraged creativity and curiosity. Now, as the Kernel’s editor-inchief, I think about that woman more than I expected I would. Every source who talks to us is doing what she did: trusting that we’ll tell the story right. The Kernel has been the voice of the University of Kentucky since 1892 and has been proudly independent since 1972. That legacy is built on adaptation. But it only means something if we keep earning it with every story, every interview. This year, I want our newsroom to hold onto that same instinct I learned early on. It isn’t always about being first. It’s about getting it right. That means taking risks, pushing boundaries, and being the best journalists we can be. I still think about her. I hope, wherever she is, that story read the way she needed it to. That’s the job: not writing just what we see, but what is true. I hope every story we write this year, every person who trusts us, can say we got it right.
Sylvia Freire Editor-in-Chief
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What’s inside 04
Editorial: All this trouble for cheaper hot dogs and beer?
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News: UK tuition has risen nearly 8% in 10 years
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Sports: Kentucky majorettes reclaim national title
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Feature: United Campus Workers
Editorial Board
Editor-in-Chief Sylvia Freire Managing Editor, Special Projects Editor Cara Raiford Chief Designer Merritt Manire News Editor, Features Editor Adah Hufana Assistant News Editor Abigail Wright Sports Editor Jenna Lifshen Assistant Sports Editors Sydney Cox Brett Ramsey Opinions Editor Ari Contreras Assistant Features Editor Gray Seibert Copy Editor Keyonna Henson Photo Editor Brooke Johnson Assistant Photo Editor Will Luckett Video Editors Piper Renaud Olivia White Podcast Editor Isabella Lindsey TikTok Manager Jackson Redish Social Media Editor, Newsletter Chloe Bradley
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EDITORIAL:
All this trouble for cheaper hot dogs and beer? EMPLOYEES DESERVE TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON Editorial Board Kentucky Kernel
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he University of Kentucky needs to tell the current and former employees of Aramark just what is going on. On April 24, the United Campus Workers of Kentucky (UCW) protested UK’s handling of the Beyond Blue Reemployment Initiative, an ongoing workforce reorganization, warning that decisions made without worker input could lead to privatized jobs and lost benefits. Following this, on April 29, Aramark Campus Services, the former food service and facilities management company, sent a WARN notice ending its partnership with UK. Over 900 Aramark employees, including food, catering and utilities staff, were told they would be laid off. UK’s Vice President for University Relations and Chief Communications Officer, Jay Blanton, said the intent was for Compass Group LLC, the new 4
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provider, to rehire those impacted. In a UKNow article, Lindsay Travis, UK director of crisis communication, wrote the new partnership would protect the pay and benefits of all employees across UK. Except only half of those employees were actually rehired, according to records obtained by the Kentucky Kernel. How is the campus better off with roughly half the employees that we had under Aramark? In the contract between UK and Compass Group, Compass Group is “to hire former Aramark employees,” but they are still under “Compass employment policies and procedures.” This means there is no binding guarantee of employment for workers previously hired by Aramark. The contract does include pay and benefits protections for Compass Group employees; it doesn’t apply to former Aramark workers. It only applies to current UK staff who voluntarily choose to leave UK to work under the Compass Group.
Even for UK employees of Compass Group, the guarantee only covers their benefits being “substantially comparable” to UK benefits. There is no guarantee of a wage floor, no guarantee of full-time or part-time hours and no guarantee of rehiring. That leaves the workers under the new agreement certain about one thing — whatever UK intended, its actions didn’t protect them. The intent means nothing without accountability behind it. The university should explain why half of Aramark’s employees were not rehired, and it should renegotiate a new contract with clear terms on wages and benefits for its workers. The university’s refusal to listen to UCW’s protest, warning UK about making these decisions without workers’ input, caused those very workers to lose their jobs. If Compass Group is running on half the staff that Aramark did, the UK community deserves to know if they are getting better service
or just cheaper concession stand prices. UK should have a public meeting with UCW, along with a public message about what is happening. The meeting should address exactly how the university is going to serve the campus with only half as many people, as well as a plan for clear wages and benefits for employees who join the Compass Group. What has really been gained from the changes? All this trouble for what? For cheaper hot dogs and beverages at football games? Or is this all about more money for the university? A lot of us, and at least half of the former Aramark employees, have been left in the dark.
Toby Sparks holds up his beer before the Kentucky vs. Evansville home opener baseball game on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, at Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Sparks went to the concession stand to get food and beverage before the game. Photo from Kernel file
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The Board of Trustees: How policy is made at UK Inside the 20-member governing body that sets UK’s budget, tuition and policy Adah Hufana News Editor The University of Kentucky has a presence throughout the state, whether that be through education, healthcare or sports, the size of the institution requires a governance framework. Decision-making at UK takes the form of a shared governance model, made up of a staff and faculty senate, along with a student
senate in the form of the Student Government Association. University president Eli Capilouto and his cabinet are in charge of operational duties and implementing policy. At the head of UK’s policy-making duties is the Board of Trustees. “You think of it like the board of directors in a company in a way,” Vice President for Community Relations Jay Blanton said. “They are the governing board of the institution of the University of
President Eli Capilouto prepares for a Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, April 26, 2024, in Harris Ballroom at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. Photo from Kernel file
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Kentucky.” BOT has “final authority over all matters of the University including financial, educational and other policies” according to the university’s Governing Regulations. Blanton said BOT sets policy for the entire university. The president of UK is the board’s one employee, and the board is responsible for hiring the president and holding them accountable for job performance. “In our case, the University of Kentucky is a creation of the state of Kentucky, we were created to serve Kentucky back in 1865,” Blanton said. “In general, (BOT is responsible for) setting the overall policy direction, approving the budget, approving things like tuition and mandatory things each year.” The board is made up of 20 trustees, 16 of which are appointed by the governor of Kentucky and confirmed by the Kentucky Senate. The remaining trustees are elected by their constituents depending on what part of the university they are in. These include two members of UK faculty, one member of UK staff and the president of the SGA.
Attendees gather for a Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, April 26, 2024, in Harris Ballroom at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. Photo from Kernel file
The student member of the board generally serves for only one year, but Blanton said there have been some in the past who served for two years due to the SGA president being a junior. For the 16 appointed members, they serve sixyear terms and can serve two terms consecutively. Elected members serve three-year terms. Hollie Swanson, a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, served on the board as the faculty trustee for two three-year terms from June 2020 to June 2026. Swanson said being an elected member rather than an appointed member changes how she viewed her responsibilities on the board. “Because I’m elected by the faculty, then my view of my responsibility is that I’m serving as their voice,” Swanson said. “When
I speak, it may or may not be what I personally think, but it’s what I think the majority of the faculty would think.” BOT meetings are generally held once a month each semester, but the board must meet at a minimum of once every quarter according to the government regulations. At those meetings, the board introduces different policy items to discuss and votes on them. The board also appoints the president of the university, approves faculty appointments and promotions to associate professor or professor and the awarding of tenure. BOT is also in charge of the degree process. It routinely reviews suggestions for new degrees or academic programs and can vote to remove different degrees or programs based on enrollment
needs. Much of the work of being a trustee, Swanson said, is in staying informed about what is happening at UK and at the national level regarding politics and current events affecting the university. Trustees are not responsible for making direct changes to the university. Swanson said the enactment of the policies passed by the board is the responsibility of the university president. “We’re told that we manage one person, and that’s the president,” Swanson said. In order to have effective oversight and informationgathering, BOT has eight special committees dedicated to specific policy areas where members discuss different policy items before sending them to full board meetings. kentucky kernel
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UK tuition has risen nearly 8% in 10 years, data shows University of Kentucky tuition has risen $521 per semester since the 2017-18 academic year, but annual increases have remained between 1-3% for the past seven years. Abigail Wright Assistant News Editor
six years. Samuel Glick, a senior data research analyst whose work Kentucky resident undergraduate focuses on higher education and students paid $6,567.50 per tuition, said looking only at the semester in tuition and mandatory published tuition rate does not tell fees during the 2017-18 academic the full story. year. For 2026-27, that cost has “UK tuition has increased by risen to $7,088.50, according to less than inflation. And so that’s UK budget documents and the made it relatively cheaper,” Glick Student Account Services website. said. That is a $521 increase, or 7.9%, over the 10 academic years covered The biggest changes came by the data. earlier The trend, however, has not been a steady climb. Tuition and The largest shift in the decade mandatory fee increases have came during the 2019-20 academic remained relatively consistent year, when resident tuition and over the past decade, with annual mandatory fees appeared to increases ranging from 1% to decrease by $529.50, or 7.9%. almost 3% in years when tuition That drop was largely the result increased. of UK eliminating separate tuition UK’s Budget Office says the rates for upper and lower-division university has kept tuition increases undergraduate students. Previously, at the lowest levels in a generation, upperclassmen paid higher with the rolling four-year average tuition. Under the new structure, for tuition and fee increases all undergraduates paid the same remaining below 3% for the past tuition based on residency.
According to a 2019 UKNow article, returning students who previously paid the upperdivision rate saw their tuition decrease by $30 per semester, affecting about 30%, or more than 6,500 undergraduates. For other Kentucky resident undergraduates, tuition increased by 2.4%. Because of that restructuring, the 2019 decline should not be interpreted as a broad tuition cut. After the new pricing model took effect, annual increases remained relatively modest, as seen in chart one. UK has cited affordability as a reason for keeping recent increases low. According to a 2020 UKNow article, UK limited the resident undergraduate tuition increase to 1% while raising institutional financial aid to $150 million. As previously reported by the Kentucky Kernel, the Board of kentucky kernel
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Trustees approved a 1.94% increase aid, nearly three times the amount as possible.” for the 2026-27 academic year, of aid it provided in the 2009According to Blanton, bringing resident undergraduate 10 academic year. UK reported the university also considers tuition and mandatory fees to similar figures in the 2020 budget student success when evaluating $7,088.50 per semester. announcement, saying it planned to affordability. UK’s Vice President for invest $148 million in institutional “Our graduation rates have Community Relations, Jay scholarships and financial aid. been going up significantly; our Blanton, said the Board of Trustees The increase in institutional retention rates have been going sets tuition within parameters financial aid also coincided with up, so that is an indicator of established every two years by the enrollment growth. affordability,” Blanton said. Kentucky Council Nonresident tuition on Postsecondary Education while has risen faster Our graduation rates have considering Nonresident tuition affordability, student been going up significantly; our has increased at a much debt, financial aid retention rates have been going faster pace than resident and the university’s up, so that is an indicator of tuition. overall budget. According to “So we’re affordability.” the budget books, looking at - Jay Blanton nonresident tuition and affordability and Vice President for University Relations mandatory fees for fullaccess. We’re time students increased looking at other from $14,609.50 per semester in factors for students such as debt, According to UK’s 2025-26 2017-18 to $17,923.00 in 2026-27, financial aid and then we’re also budget briefing, institutional looking at what is it that we’re financial aid increased from $117.2 an increase of $3,313.50, or 22.7%. By comparison, resident tuition trying to provide to ensure that the million in 2017 to a projected and mandatory fees increased 7.9% education continues to get better $187.1 million in 2026, a roughly over the same period. and better,” Blanton said. 60% increase. The difference means the During the same period, fall published price for nonresident Financial aid has grown enrollment grew from just over students has grown at nearly three 30,000 to a projected 37,000 alongside tuition (graph) times the rate of the resident price students for Fall 2026, an increase over the 10 academic years in the While tuition has increased, UK of about 19%. has also significantly expanded Blanton said expanding financial data set. For 2026-27, a full-time institutional financial aid. aid continues to remain a priority. nonresident undergraduate will According to the university’s “We’re now at close to $200 pay $17,923.00 per semester, current budget page, more than million this year for financial aid $10,834.50 more than a Kentucky 90% of resident undergraduate for students,” Blanton said. “It’s a resident. students receive financial aid from continuing challenge, but also an university, federal and state sources opportunity we take very seriously Inflation changes how the that does not have to be repaid, and to try to make sure that education at more than half of students graduate the University of Kentucky, which increase looks without debt. is the best you can find in the state Inflation provides another way In its 2019-20 budget of Kentucky and among the best in to evaluate the change. announcement, UK reported the country, we want to make sure Using the U.S. Bureau of Labor investing $146 million in financial that’s as affordable and accessible
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Statistics Consumer Price Index calculator, the Kernel converted historical tuition and mandatory fee totals into 2026 dollars. The analysis found the $6,567.50 students paid in 2017-18 has the purchasing power of roughly $8,858.00 today. Glick said inflation provides important context because household income in Kentucky has also increased over the past decade. “The median household in Kentucky in 2014 made about $55,000 and in 2024, they made just under $65,000. So incomes have gone up; people are making more money even after accounting for inflation, but UK’s tuition has actually gone down,” Glick said. “When you look at the data, it actually says that it’s more affordable for Kentucky families to send their kids here.” Still, tuition is only one part of the cost of attending UK. According to the Student
Financial Aid and Scholarships website, the estimated cost of attendance includes tuition and fees as well as housing, food, books, transportation and personal expenses. For 2026-27, UK estimates the total cost for an in-state undergraduate living on campus at $38,344 per year. Tuition and fees account for $14,178 of that total.
What the data shows Taken together, the data points to several trends. Resident undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees have increased 7.9% over the past decade, but annual increases have generally remained modest since the 2019 restructuring. At the same time, the university has expanded financial aid, which now approaches $200 million annually and reaches most resident undergraduates.
Looking only at published tuition rates does not capture affordability, as many students at UK pay less after scholarships and grants. Inflation and rising household incomes provide additional context for evaluating tuition increases. “It remains a statistical fact that college is a pretty good investment,” Glick said. The Kernel requested an inperson interview with Student Body President Nick Pace about the tuition increases and their impact on students. The Kernel also requested to interview members of the Board of Trustees financial committee through UK Associate Director of Strategic Crisis Communications Dani Jaffe. Both said they could only provide written statements if the Kernel gave them advance written questions, which goes against the Kernel’s normal journalistic practices and policies. kentucky kernel
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‘We’re here’ Kentucky majorettes reclaim national title after 40 years
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Sydney Cox Assistant Sports Editor Three days. That’s all the University of Kentucky majorettes had to take a routine created just four months earlier and turn it into a performance worthy of a national championship — a title the program hadn’t seen in 40 years. The team was forced apart for months, as none of the majorettes were from Kentucky. Some participated in study abroad programs and other ventures that further kept them apart. Whispers of a national return began to surface a couple of years ago. Wildcat twirlers began setting their sights beyond football season, putting in extra work during the offseason to sharpen their skills. That dedication, however, finally came to life this past season. In a full-circle moment, the majorettes successfully took first place in the National Baton Twirling Association America’s Youth on Parade Pride and Tradition Pregame Competition on their first attempt back on July 18. Days before the competition, they were practicing alone. The Wildcat twirlers were scattered. From living rooms, gyms and various European streets, they recorded themselves in hopes their performances would align perfectly with their teammates from hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of miles away. The team’s last full practice
together was in May. “It was a lot,” co-captain Ally Merlak said. “It was not easy – it was hard and there were obviously days that were harder and it’s nerve-wracking, you know, because it has been so long that we don’t really know if we’re at the right point where we should be.” The Sweetheart Majorette Alumni Club helped make those rare practices possible. By funding gym space for the team during the spring and again when they arrived early to prepare for competition, the majorettes were able to focus on what mattered — their routine. The routine was being prepared to showcase in the Pride and
backbone of the program’s revival. The majorettes’ alumni involvement goes back generations. Lynda Williams Closson, a 1968 Sweetheart Majorette alumna, said the alumni network sees its role as giving back to the team. “Being a baton twirler takes agility and athleticism, and many SEC schools offer twirlers scholarships,” Closson said. “If we want to rebuild our line to the original 10 and attract more of the best twirlers in the country, we need to step up and offer scholarship support.” Before the 2025-26 season, former captain Jillian Freeman wanted the team to perform in her sophomore year. After going between coaches, Daniel, the alumni association and the majorettes wanted to make this dream possible. “We want to elevate our program and we want to show what our skill level is because we could see that our skill level is greatly improved,” Daniel said. “We -Donna Daniel just felt like it was the right Head Coach time for us to go (to the national championship).” Pregame Tradition portion, a The majorettes hadn’t performed category representing the highin a national championship since energy performance before Jan. 4, 1986. Even during that marching band pregame and first appearance, they came back halftime shows. winners, marking their last known “The Sweetheart Alumni Club is national appearance in 40 years. always so supportive, a great group According to available records, of former sweethearts,” Head coach there is no indication that the Donna Daniel said. “They and the majorettes competed between 1986 College of Fine Arts paid together and 2026. for the competition entry fee. Three It’s not that the team was other alumni paid for the rest from unable to hit the mark after the their personal funds.” first national win — they simply That kind of support became the haven’t competed since.
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It’s not just posing with a baton.”
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Sweetheart Majorette Twirling Line feature twirler Gracie Burton rehearses choreography during band camp at Shively Field on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Lexington, Ky. Photo by Will Luckett
Freeman said the program’s numbers declined after 1986, and it lacked the level of dedicated alumni and coaching staff support it has today, limiting its opportunities to return to the national stage. “We just did not expect, at all, to make first place,” Freeman said. “A lot of people don’t understand the other schools and what they brought to the table either, so we were just shocked whenever they called our name because it was our first try — that’s a pretty big deal to win on your first try.” Daniel said the visibility of the sport has lessened over the years, and interest in twirling has declined in Kentucky. “We worked really hard on recruiting because a lot of the 16
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girls are from out of state. We’re really proud of what we’ve done, but I have to say it’s not just me,” Daniel said. “I’ve got a whole team of alumni that have done a great job, and then the band director, Dr. Shayna Stahl, has been very supportive as well.” The significance of the win isn’t just because of the weight of the 40-year drought, or the consistent practices throughout the past year, Freeman said; it’s a culmination of years of growth and commitment to the program. “It means everything to me,” Freeman said. “The twirlers we’ve had on the line the past two, three years have grown so much as twirlers. Their confidence has grown, and it’s all thanks to them and the work they would put in.”
This growth is something the team feels every day. “I have loved my experience with the program,” co-captain Elly LeCursi said. “I think it’s so great that we were finally able to compete at nationals because that’s not something that has been done at our program … the program has grown immensely, and I love to see that trajectory. Beyond the excitement of the win itself, Daniel and her team said this accomplishment is another step toward the legacy and identity that the program is building. “We’re trying to get more recognition at the school too, and be like, ‘Hey, we’re here,’ you know,” Merlak said. “We’re not just on the sidelines of the band, we are our own program.”
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United Campus Workers oppose UK’s new job structuring
Gray Seibert Assistant Features Editor United Campus Workers opposed UK’s new job structure as Compass Group and Beyond Blue became integral to the university. The University of Kentucky signed a major contract with Compass Group on June 30, which will include custodial services, grounds, dining, concessions and patient transport, according to records obtained by the Kentucky Kernel. Compass Group is a large company that provides services from food to facilities management to cleaning, according to Crisis communications director Lindsay Travis. Around the same time, UK also announced a large internal restructuring called Integrate Blue, which moved many core administrative functions within the university into centralized units. The university
is moving some IT, marketing and communications jobs into Beyond Blue LLC. According to Vice President for University Relations Jay Blanton, Beyond Blue is owned by UK and reports to the Board of Trustees (BOT). Blanton said Beyond Blue is subject to the same open records provisions like the rest of the university.
UCW is a union that organizes everyone at UK, from faculty, staff, grounds, custodial, dining and students, according to the UCW Kentucky’s website. UCW is independent from the university and funded by member dues. “Workers are organizing through our labor union, United Campus Workers of Kentucky, to push back against these plans and for a UK where every worker has Fair Pay and A Say,” according to UCW’s website. During the BOT meeting in June where UCW members were protesting the Integrate Blue initiative. Dan Moon, administrative assistant in the College of Communication and Information and statewide vice chair of UCW told the Kernel a staff member - UCW website called her after the June BOT meeting. The United Campus Workers of According to Moon, the BOT Kentucky’s “Protect Our Services” staff member called to say that the campaign seeks to highlight this chair of the BOT, Britt Brockman, and other major changes at UK. wanted to meet with union leaders
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Workers are organizing through our labor union, United Campus Workers of Kentucky, to push back against these plans and for a UK where every worker has Fair Pay and A Say,”
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later that day. “So we had a meeting with Chair Brockman, Vice Chair Todd Case and a couple of other university administrators, and one of the vice presidents from Compass Group,” Moon said. Chair Brockman, toward the beginning of the meeting with UCW members, said that this was the first time he has met with a group of workers in his 17 years on the board, according to Moon. “I think we walked away from not feeling confident that the workers truly have a direct way to dialogue with the administration,” Moon said. “That was concerning and surprising.” The board members in the meeting said they had seen the concerns the UCW were raising in the media, referring to a meeting with Gov. Andy Beshear, and
wanted to sit down and have a conversation, according to Moon. UCW made their concerns known, and the board wanted to reiterate that they had UK workers’ interests in mind as they’re making these decisions, according to Moon. “But I think there was some frustration on both sides that we asked very specific questions about what was going to happen with specific groups of workers and their pay and benefits,” Moon said. “We asked very specifically, like if a custodian is hired next month and they’re going to be a Compass employee, what is their pay and benefits structure going to be? They were unwilling to answer that question.” According to Moon, one of the bigger issues UCW Kentucky has with Integrate Blue and the
outsourcing to Beyond Blue was the lack of public discussion and input from employees that was considered in these decisions. “I respect my colleagues, but that is simply not true,” Blanton said. “If you look at both the Enterprise and Integrate Blue, there were numerous town halls held with those who would be impacted by these moves.” But Moon said she still disagreed. Moon said the decision to centralize and make a 30-year contract with Compass happened without a vote from BOT. “I did my time in student government as an undergrad, so I’ve seen it through that lens, but also watched the dismantling of the university senate in 2024,” Moon said. “There are really no checks from the faculty or staff or student groups on the administration; those
Protesters with the United Campus Workers of Kentucky hold up signs during the Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, April 24, 2026, at Gatton Student Center in Lexington, Ky. Photo by Scout Tarquinio
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groups are represented on the board of trustees.” Additionally, Moon said she is concerned that in the future most of UK jobs will be in privatized companies leading to poorer pay and benefits. “UK is one of the largest employers in the state, and I think that the broad long-term economic impact of these differentiated compensation structures could be very harmful over the long run for the state of Kentucky,” Moon said to the Kernel. According to Travis, via the June 30 announcement all current UK employees can be grandfathered in with their current pay and benefits. “All UK employees will remain UK employees with the same pay and benefits,” Travis said. “If employees choose to pursue
promotional opportunities with Compass Group, the UK has worked to ensure that their benefits package is comparable in quality and the equivalent financially.” Robby Hardesty was recently reassigned to the public relations and strategic communications department. Hardesty has been a UCW member for a couple of years and has become more active in the “Protect our Services” campaign over the last year. “I think the campus administration genuinely believes it is doing what’s best for the long-term interests, health, and viability of the university,” Hardesty said. “But I do think the approach is misguided and will end up hollowing out something that could be really great. Institutions like these are vital for democracy, for the health of society, for an
educated public, for young people, for old people.” Hardesty said he thinks a large group of university employees would agree that the feeling of working at UK has changed over the past 10 or 15 years. According to Hardesty, UK used to have this reputation in Lexington as a solid job that you would have for your entire career, but with these moves to hire people into the LLC, the draw is not there. “UK talks a lot about how its people are its mission, and that its purpose is to serve and to advance Kentucky and to leave Kentuckians healthier, wealthier, and wiser,” Hardesty said. “It’s important that it really follows through with that and uses its power for that purpose.”
Attendees hold a banner before the protest organized by United Campus Workers and 32BJ SEIU on Monday, May 4, 2026, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky. Photo by Scout Tarquinio
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Rising cost of tuition financially strains students Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the policy or position of the Kernel. Audrey Goss Staff The 2026-27 school year will see the highest budget and the most expensive tuition yet for the University of Kentucky. As the cost of living crisis unsparingly burdens millions, many students feel unequipped to face skyrocketing prices while paying for school. What feels like every year, thousands of students at UK open their inboxes to yet another email from the Office of the President, informing them that students will see a tuition increase. In May 2026, we saw an email that said students would see a “less than 2%” raise in tuition. A year before that, the UK Board of Trustees approved a 3% increase in tuition and a raise in mandatory fees. Now, around 40,000 UK students are paying more in tuition than ever before. While UK says they are committed to making its education “accessible,” its goal of accessibility becomes less attainable with each tuition raise.
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In a state where about one in five Kentuckians under the age of 18 live in poverty, the cost of receiving higher education often comes with enough barriers. In particular, poverty rates in some Eastern Kentucky counties exceed 50%. Although UK maintains that much of its budget will be allocated toward scholarships, students who are already disadvantaged may not have the privilege of utilizing the resources and opportunities necessary to qualify for those awards in the first place.
grew up and continue to live in poverty. The only difference between them and many of my peers at UK is access to opportunity. The affordability crisis hits vulnerable communities like Harlan County the hardest. A rise in tuition may seem small to those who can afford it, but it makes a noticeable difference to those who are struggling to begin with. In the same email sent by the Office of the President in early May, it was announced that UK faculty members will receive a 3% pay raise. What Capilouto failed to mention is that the Board of Trustees also awarded him a pay raise. His salary increases annually at the same rate as other UK employees, as he continues to earn a base salary of about $1.5 million per year. While I understand that this raise will help increase employee retention, it is difficult to justify such an increase at a time when many students are already financially burdened. This tuition increase of about 2% is just the latest in a string of price hikes and hidden costs perpetuated by the university. This semester, students are
Personally, I would much rather have a couple hundred more dollars to use for rent, utilities or groceries than countless projects that I will never reap the benefits of.”
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I grew up in Harlan County, Kentucky, which is one of the poorest counties in the Commonwealth and in the nation. Some of the smartest and most capable people I have ever met
paying more for a myriad of mandatory fees. Undergraduate students are required to pay 13 preliminary mandatory fees. These fees include everything from “campus modernization” to student center renovation and more for a whopping total of $731. The raises that have occurred this year alone do not show the complete story. Fees have risen sharply in recent years. For example, the student recreation fee, which was $21 in 2024, is now $109 per semester. Beyond mandatory fees and tuition, there are several expenses incurred by students that are almost impossible to avoid. Necessities like food, housing, and parking have now taken on luxury prices.
While this is a nationwide issue that has indiscriminately affected millions of people, it is becoming especially hard for college students to keep up with the rising cost of living and education. While UK touts that the cost of meal plans will be reduced by 5% and concessions will be cheaper, does that really offset the rising cost of a Kentucky education? Most students would like to enjoy a cheap hot dog while at a football game and affordable tuition, without them having to be mutually exclusive. Personally, I would much rather have a couple hundred more dollars to use for rent, utilities or groceries than countless projects that I will never reap the benefits of. Although
I recognize that it is the duty of the university to invest in its own future, I believe that UK’s highest obligation is to students who are currently enrolled. It feels a bit tone deaf to raise tuition at a time when people are already struggling to keep up with inflating costs. I spoke with several students about the ongoing rise of tuition. Out-of-state students expressed their concerns about how increases usually hit them the hardest and the worst. Many of these students agreed that they have not seen any noticeable improvement in the quality of their education since last year. This leaves us with a question: how long until UK prices prospective students out?
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