TOPEKA, Kansas (KSNT) – Officials at Kansas State Schools are considering student loans as part of a new study to help keep Kansas graduates in the state.

“We have students who are actively recruiting from other states, from other companies, even global companies, and all of that is fine, but we want to keep as many in Kansas as possible,” said Dr. Blake Flanders, President and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents.

The study explores various ways to incentivize students to stay in the state after graduation. The board is considering raising salaries to match the higher-paying jobs students could get out of state and forgetting college debt if they decide to take a position in Kansas after graduation.

“We have many programs where all graduates successfully find high-paying employment, but sometimes not in the state of Kansas,” Flanders said. “When a student graduates and takes a job in a Kansas community with a Kansas company, they somehow get their student loans off.”

Flanders said the study was still in its infancy so there was nothing concrete yet. The board hopes this will help with the state’s long-term goals of spurring economic development.

“Kansas really needs a full-blown economic development plan with conscious job creation, and universities can play a central role in that.”

Flanders hopes universities will embrace the plan and help recruit companies that offer competitive jobs for graduates. Newly appointed lieutenant governor and Secretary of Commerce, David Toland, announced at a press conference Monday his intention to advance a strategic economic development plan for the state.

“The framework for growth will be a guide to creating new jobs in the state and, as I mentioned earlier, ensuring that we keep our greatest asset, our young people, in the state,” said Toland. “And we are also recruiting those that we have lost to other countries.”

According to Flanders, the study will examine where the highest and lowest demand areas are in the state in order to connect employers and students in Kansas.