Fort Hays State University

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Programs Offered at Fort Hays State University

Fort Hays State University appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Online Degree Programs For In-State Students. Fort Hays State University offers courses on campus in Kansas or online. The university’s colleges include:
  • the College of Education
  • the W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship
  • the Peter Werth College of Science, Technology, and Mathematics
  • the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences.
Fort Hays State University doesn’t have an official dual enrollment program. However, the institution does accept credits that students earned via concurrent enrollment while in high school. Some of the most popular degree programs for new students include those in:
  • business
  • education
  • the humanities
  • social science
  • psychology
Overall, the university has hundreds of programs to choose from. The university has an extensive online degree system where students can earn every type of college degree, as well as certificates and specialist degrees. All degrees are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Some of the undergraduate degrees offered include those in:
  • business education
  • finance, accounting
  • health studies
  • agricultural business
The majority of the university’s online graduate degrees are offered in business and education. In the Master of Business Administration program, students may specialize in areas like:
  • health care management
  • tourism & hospitality management
  • corporate communication
  • leadership studies
  • human resource management
Other areas of study available include:
  • instructional design
  • literary arts
  • gerontology
  • global studies
Students interested in one of the university’s certificate programs may enroll in programs related to health care like:
  • the Certificate in Diagnostic Cardiac Sonography
  • the Certificate in Cardiovascular Interventional Technology
  • the Certificate in Magnetic Resonance Imaging
The university also offers many certificates in business with topics available in:
  • management
  • entrepreneurship
  • business law
  • human resource management
Other programs include:
  • the Certificate in Case Management from the Department of Psychology
  • the Public Administration Certificate from the Department of Political Science
  • the Certificate in Community Health from the Department of Health and Human Performance.

About Fort Hays State University

Fort Hays State University is located in Hays, Kansas. It’s one of the largest universities in the state, with more than 15,000 students. More than a third of its students are enrolled in online classes. About 3,500 are enrolled in a Chinese program. The rest are enrolled on campus. The university’s official colors are gold and black, and the sports teams are the Tigers. The rural campus in Hays covers 200 acres. It opened in 1902 on the site of a former military fort. The university was known as the Western Branch of Kansas State Normal School. Construction on a new campus was finished in 1904. The university relocated to its present-day location that year.

Fort Hays State University Accreditation Details

Fort Hays State University is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Its programs also have a variety of specialized approvals. The Higher Learning Commission is recognized by the federal government. It allows the university to award college degrees and for its students to take out student loans through federally guaranteed student aid programs. Programmatic approvals within the university come from organizations like the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Other approvals come from:
  • the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • National Security Administration
  • the Kansas State Board of Nursing
  • the Council on Social Work Education
  • the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education
Approvals and accreditations are reviewed every few years to ensure that program administrators are maintaining acceptable operations.

Fort Hays State University Application Requirements

The university has a handful of application deadlines that students must meet to be admitted in their desired semester.  Incoming freshmen are required to have minimum  GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale for all classes in the Kansas Qualified Admissions Pre-College Curriculum. They have  a test score of at least 980 on the SAT or 21 on the ACT. Students who don’t meet the standardized test score requirements may also qualify if they are in the top third of their high school graduating class. Freshmen applicants who aren’t residents of Kansas must achieve a higher GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for their pre-college curriculum classes. Graduate student applications have varying requirements that depend on the program. For example, students interested in the Master of Science in Instructional Technology must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition and fees for residents of Kansas are $5,274 per year at Fort Hays State University. Students from states that border Kansas will pay a reduced rate of $7,272. Full non-resident tuition and fees are $15,432.90. The university expects that books and supplies will cost around $600 per year, and that room and board will add another $8,210 per year. Graduate students on campus who are residents will pay $241.71 per credit. Non-residents will pay $609.77 per credit. Students from contiguous states will pay $241.29 per credit. Virtual college tuition is $287.75 per credit, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice and Master of Business Administration are $400 per credit. Students must submit an extra application to qualify for financial aid. They must apply every year they attend Fort Hays State University to maintain financial aid awards. These include:
  • student loans
  • grants
  • scholarships
The official application for financial aid is called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students will submit this document online. After successful submission, Fort Hays State University will be notified of the student’s application and will determine financial aid eligibility. Students who wish to earn an institutional scholarship should submit their standardized test scores. These will help the university determine whether there are any merit-based scholarships the student should receive. First-time enrollees may apply for a Freshman Academic Award at Fort Hays State University by:
  • reporting their GPA
  • submitting standardized test scores
  • sending official transcripts.

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