‘A new path forward’: Bill bringing major changes to KSU passes
The bill that would transform Kentucky State University into a polytechnic institution where students are trained in trades that align with the state’s workforce needs passed Wednesday after emotional calls from alumni for it to move forward.
Under Senate Bill 185, KSU would offer four-year degrees with an emphasis on workforce needs, and hand financial oversight to state officials. Sen. Christian McDaniel, R-Ryland Heights, the sponsor of the bill, said the bill originated because the state was considering closing the university, which has been plagued by financial and accreditation issues in recent years.
At the House Appropriations and Revenue committee April 1, a group of alumni expressed support and appreciation for the bill, which passed unanimously out of the committee. It then passed both chambers of the General Assembly. The policy now heads to the governor’s desk.
“I am grateful to our students, alumni, faculty, staff, and supporters who helped ensure that Kentucky State’s voice was present and heard throughout this process,” KSU President Koffi Akakpo said in a statement. “Your advocacy reflected both pride in our history and belief in our future. I am also appreciative of our partners in state government and higher education who have engaged this legislation with seriousness and care.”
Under the bill, KSU would be required to:
- Offer no more than 10 areas of study for the next five years, along with online programs, the College of Education and other programs deemed necessary by the Council on Postsecondary Education;
- Have a target enrollment of at least 1,000 in-person students;
- Retain only the faculty and staff necessary to support that enrollment;
- Limit enrollment only to students who do not have an outstanding balance with the school greater than $1,000 or a payment plan with the school;
- Have all transactions greater than $20,000 approved by CPE.
Liberal arts education at KSU would become online programs, and the technical training would be in-person. It’s not yet clear which 10 areas of study would be offered at the polytechnic university. Under a House committee substitute, the university’s period of financial exigency could be shorter than five years if it meets guidelines and parameters approved by the legislature.
Rep. Jason Petrie, R-Elkton, chair of the committee, said he views the legislation as “a reset for success,” and said the collaboration on the bill had been positive and successful.
KSU would also remain a landgrant university — a federal designation for schools with education related to agriculture, science, engineering and military science — and a historically Black university.
“This does chart a new path forward for Kentucky State, but I want everyone to be clear that the history of Kentucky State University, its proud legacy, should never be and is not now in question,” said Rep. Joshua Watkins, D-Louisville.
Several KSU alumni expressed their support for the bill, including KSU National Alumni Association President Barry Johnson.
“KSU is more than an institution,” Johnson said. “It is a promise, a promise founded in 1886. KSU has stood for more than a century as a beacon of educational opportunity. Our alumni are teachers, nurses, engineers, public servants, community leaders. We live and work in every county in the state. When you invest in Kentucky State University, you invest in Kentucky itself, in the communities that need it most, the students who have the most to gain.”
Johnson said that in his view, the bill would allow KSU to retain its HBCU mission and “solidify and propel Kentucky State fully into the future.”
“KSU’s mission is not merely historical, it is essential — essential to this Commonwealth,” Johnson said. “This legislation honors that legacy, while empowering KSU to meet the demands of tomorrow.”
Herald-Leader reporter Piper Hansen contributed to this story.
This story was originally published April 1, 2026 at 2:13 PM.