By Ali Krogman
[email protected]

CEDAR FALLS — University of Iowa students won’t see an increase in tuition second semester, but students at peer institutions will.

The state Board of Regents voted Wednesday to raise tuition for in-state undergraduates by $100 in the spring for Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa. The vote was not unanimous.

An amendment, which came after student leaders from each university spoke on behalf of their peers, exempted the UI’s inclusion in the increase.

Liz Mills, the president of the University of Iowa Student Government, spoke on behalf of UI students to have the board vote no for the tuition increase.

“The tuition increase won’t stand true with the values many Iowans hold: accessible, quality education at an affordable rate,” Mills said.

The regents planned to freeze tuition for the entire 2015-16 academic year, but the proposal fell through in the face of less-than-expected legislative funding.

Mills also said that many student-financial-aid plans are not flexible enough on such short notice. Rastetter considered this when motioning for the new tuition amendment.

“The reason these institutions exist is because of students,” Regent President Bruce Rastetter said. “I appreciate and recognize student perspective.”

UI officials were caught off-guard by Mills’ request, but said they are prepared for the loss of expected funds.

The increase would have generated $3.5 million if applied to each university for the second half of the fiscal 2016 academic. The UI was expected to receive between $1.2 million and $1.4 million of that increase.

“I’m advocating for us to look at what we can do for the 2016-2017 school year and not mid-semester because of financial planning,” Rastetter said.

ISU and UNI student leaders lobbied for the tuition increase, saying enrollment was increasing yet adequate opportunities for students were not available because of funding.

“Student leaders speak on needing an increase in income,” said Daniel Breitbarth, ISU student governement president. “With our record-breaking enrollment numbers we need additional support; students want to see opportunities continue at Iowa State.”

Student leaders at UNI have spoken against tuition freezes, saying the university needs the income. The institution relies much more heavily on in-state income than the UI and ISU.

“This is the third straight year of tuition-freeze,” said Kathryn Evans, UNI student government president.  “Our students deserve better. The opportunities at UNI cannot continue without adequate funding.”

Other regents felt the UI student perspective and a separate request for  $4.5 million in state appropriations gave mixed messages.

“I’m troubled by the disconnect,” said Regent President Pro Tem Katie Mulholland. “A student representative comes and says it is not needed but we hear from the institution says it is.”

“We need to consider as we move forward what we’re looking at for fiscal ’17,” Mulholland said. “And how does that all tie together.”

Mulholland joined Regent Rachael Johnson, a UNI sophomore, and Regent Larry McKibben in voting against the amendment.

“We didn’t know we would have that discussion,” Rastetter said about the vote. “We listened to students.”