UI Student Government President Michael Currie said he is aware that supporting the university’s proposal to increase tuition won’t be popular with the majority of the students.

“I know it would be much better for us politically to say we don’t support it,” he said. “But I don’t feel that’s an effective way of negotiating and coming to the table and being as effective as we can be.”

Currie and UISG Vice President J.D. Moran said they endorse a plan to impose a $100 mid-year surcharge next semester and a 6 percent increase in next year’s tuition. The tuition hike brings the total increase — for base tuition and mandatory fees — to 8.7 percent for Iowa residents and 6.8 percent for non-residents.

But student-government presidents at Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa have issued a statement calling tuition increases during an economic recession “unacceptable.”

Currie said he will present his stance at Thursday’s state Board of Regents meeting — where regents will hear the universities’ proposals on how to cut a collective $60 million — with or without the support of the UISG Senate.

“I won’t say all our representatives support this increase if they don’t,” Currie said. “But I’m firm in my standing.”

UISG senators will debate and vote tonight on whether they will propose alternatives to tuition increases, said UISG Speaker of the Senate Erica Hayes. UI President Sally Mason plans to attend the meeting to answer budget questions.

Currie and Moran have met with top UI administrators over the past few weeks to discuss budget matters. The pair said they decided to support the midyear surcharge and tuition increase to avoid damaging the UI’s education standards.

They said the university would need to lose 23 to 25 tenured faculty members to generate the same $2.5 million the surcharge would collect.

“The $100 will go toward maintaining the quality of our education,” Currie said.

ISU student President Jonathan Turk and UNI student President Adam Haselhuhn said they disagree with Currie’s approach.

“We are interested in a method that will least affect the students,” Haselhuhn said. “UNI students can’t afford it. Being the voice here, I can’t support it.”

Turk agreed, saying he chose to focus more on accessibility and affordability for Iowa students.

UI student opinion on the increase was split.

Senior Wes Freie said he doesn’t agree with the UISG executives’ decision.

“There has to be other ways than having to charge students more and more,” he said.

But Tom Burdakin, a sophomore, said he thinks paying more is worth the investment.

“I would rather pay a little extra then see our academic reputation hindered,” he said.

The Higher Education Price Index released for this year recommends a 2.7 percent increase in tuition and at most a 3.3 percent hike.

Despite the recommendation, Currie and Moran said they agree with UI officials idea to propose a tuition increase much higher to help with the millions of dollars in budget cuts facing the university.

The 6 percent increase would generate $11 million of extra revenue for the UI, Currie said.

“It’s very hard for the students to come around to the idea,” Moran said. “But, when you really dig in and see what we are preserving, it’s a bargain.”