State Board of Regents approves University of Iowa residence-hall-rate increase

The state Board of Regents approved the University of Iowa’s proposed residence hall rate increase for the 2019-20 academic year during the April 18 meeting.

Receptionists+Christian+Castano+and+Mackenzie+Goss+are+seen+at+the+University+Housing+and+Dining+Administration+Building+on+Tuesday%2C+August+28%2C+2018.+University+Housing+and+Dining+are+in+process+of+making+changes+in+their+Residence+Education+Model.+

Sid Peterson

Receptionists Christian Castano and Mackenzie Goss are seen at the University Housing and Dining Administration Building on Tuesday, August 28, 2018. University Housing and Dining are in process of making changes in their Residence Education Model.

Kelsey Harrell, News Reporter

The state Board of Regents approved the proposed residence system rates for the 2019-20 academic year, increasing all but one room rate by 2 percent and board rates by about the same amount.

During the 2019-20 University of Iowa academic year, the rate for a standard double room without air conditioning and standard meal plan — the Black plan — will increase 1.95 percent, from $9,596 to $9,783 after the regent vote on April 18.

The exact dollar amount the room rate will increase by depends on how many residents occupy the room and what amenities are included. The residence-hall rates for summer 2019 will also increase by 2 percent.

The residence system at the UI and the other regent universities are self-sustaining and don’t receive state appropriations for operation and capital improvements. The funding for the systems is only to be used for purposes in the residence halls.

RELATED: UI requests to increase price tag on living in residence halls

The regents previously had received five-year plans, preliminary fiscal year 2020 budgets, and proposed room and board rates for the 2019-20 academic year from the universities during the Feb. 28 meeting.

As previously reported by The Daily Iowan, the proposed rate increases come at the same time as an estimated fiscal 2019 decrease in UI student occupancy, from 95.2 percent to 91.3 percent.

“The UI has worked diligently to create and maintain a housing and dining system that promotes student success,” UI Assistant Vice President for Housing & Dining Von Stange said at the February meeting. “We continue to be good stewards of our students’ dollars.”