By Austin Petroski
Undergraduate in-state tuition for the next academic year will increase $250 for the three public universities, the state Board of Regents decided on Monday.
The regents had originally planned to increase tuition by $300 for the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa, but voted for $50 less during the meeting. The initial increase was outlined in the June meeting for the regents, but Regent Larry McKibben proposed an amendment to knock it back.
The regents also increased tuition for other students at the universities, including graduate and out-of-state students. Out-of-state undergraduate tuition at the UI will increase by $400. Business and engineering students will also face supplemental increases from $500 to $800.
“There is a lot of concern about the increase in tuition, but there is also a concern about how to maintain the level of higher education we are at,” McKibben said.
He says supporting the tuition increase has been difficult for him, and he was originally on the other side. Regent Patricia Cownie said it was a tough decision to make, but she believes it was the only path to follow.
“It is difficult to raise tuition, but I think we have no other choice,” she said.
Regent Rachael Johnson, a UNI student, also said she thought the increase was ultimately the only choice.
“I have always said raising tuition was not something I looked forward to, but often, it is necessary,” she said.
Regent President Bruce Rastetter said he had spoken with the university presidents, and they had assured him they could manage with the lower than expected tuition increase.
All of the regents at the meeting approved the amended tuition hike.
The regents also heard from UI President Bruce Harreld about the fiscal 2017 budget during the meeting. He said the tuition increase would increase the burden placed upon students, but the university has to be responsible with the resources it has.
“Nothing is more important for a university than how it allocates its resources,” he said.
The UI needs to continue to recruit and maintain excellent faculty, Harreld said, and it must stay competitive in terms of pay and tenure. The university should broaden and deepen its approach to funding, he contended.
Harreld and Iowa State President Steven Leath also declined pay raises until at least January 2017.
The UI Student Government released a statement following the meeting about the tuition increase, noting that UISG President Rachel Zuckerman during the June 9 regents’ meeting suggested a compromise that would increase tuition $200 across the board.
“We are troubled by this vote and the lack of attention given to the negative effects of rising tuition costs,” the statement said, noting that UISG officials were especially concerned about the steep increase for business and engineering students.
“… We cannot continue to place a disproportionate financial burden on students in specific disciplines and out-of-state students,” the statement said.