The UI Student Government Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of supporting a $100 spring tuition surcharge on Tuesday night.

Senators also voted to endorse a 6 percent tuition increase.

But the Senate wasn’t fully on board with the extra fees, aimed at helping the UI trim $24.7 million from its budget.

Sen. Michael Appel proposed legislation calling for the Senate’s opposition to a midyear surcharge, a 6 percent tuition hike for the next academic year, and a $60 retention fee.

“A hundred dollars could be the cost to heat your apartment or a trip to the grocery store,” he said. “The surcharge is only a Band-Aid to the unavoidable cuts we will have to make.”

But by the time Appel suggested the bill, most of the senators seemed to favor the surcharge, seemingly because of an influential hourlong appearance by UI President Sally Mason.

She opened the Senate session by justifying her support of both the midyear surcharge and tuition increase.

“It’s not comfortable for me to ask you to pay more,” she said. “But the 6 percent increase is necessary to maintain our institutional quality.”

Mason did not reveal other details about her budget-cutting plan, which she will present to the state Board of Regents at a meeting Thursday in Cedar Falls.

She assured the Senate the potential increases for students would work to preserve UI faculty positions and departments.

Of the nearly $25 million the university needs to trim before the end of the year, approximately 20 to 25 percent of the funds will come from UI faculty and staff, Mason said. Students would supply roughly 10 percent of the UI’s reduction, or around $2.4 million, through the midyear surcharge.

Students who cannot afford the $100 will be exempt, she said, noting that decision is based on financial-aid factors.

“The proposed surcharge and tuition hike won’t fix the budget problem,” Mason said. “But it will help.”

After her speech, 30 senators, a majority of those present, voted against Appel’s bill to oppose the surcharge.

“A few people can stop going to Brothers or the Union for the night and pay for this,” Sen. Chris Page said. “I think the UI can afford this.”

One senator who pays his own tuition took the floor in support of the surcharge, too.

Cody Shafer, a UI senior, said he would write a check for $100 in order to preserve the UI’s quality and faculty and staff jobs.

Sen. Caitlin Ross agreed.

“I believe the administration has our interests at heart,” she said. “One hundred dollars is a bang for your buck.”

But Sen. Whitney Carson, who initially supported Appel’s drafts, noted the student governments from both the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University said they oppose the surcharge.

“We are elected by the students to represent the students,” she said. “This surcharge does not represent the students.”

Some students not at the meeting agreed with Carson.

UI sophomore Christina Rittgers said a 6 percent jump in tuition is too high, noting the Higher Education Price Index for this year recommends a 2.7 percent increase in tuition.

“I feel betrayed by my student government,” she said.

Julie Jennings, a sophomore, said she is concerned that more of the university’s funding is from students instead of the state, causing the UI to seem more like a private college.

“We are losing our grad students, who bring new knowledge to our university,” she said. “I am not a fan of our student government’s decision.”