Regents indicate support for tuition increases at UI and ISU
Hunter
5/2/19
A telephone meeting between the Iowa Board of Regents and university administrators shows indication that the board will give the green light on a 3.9 percent tuition increase for the fall.
University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld continued to stress the shortfall in funding requests granted by the state Legislature causing the school to either raise the tuition or cut services to bridge the funding gap.
The Regents requested, and Governor Reynolds supported, an $18 million increase in funding for the upcoming fiscal year, but the Iowa Legislature only provided 2/3rds of that request, leaving a $6 million gap.
The regents were hoping to keep the increases over a five-year model at three percent, given that they were fully funded by the state.
The University of Northern Iowa requested that tuition not be raised to become more competitive, and asked for $4 to $5 million in additional appropriations yearly to do so.
Student representatives also weighed in; the Cedar Rapids Gazette noted that UI Student Government President Noel Mills related that the increase is a big deal.
She said, “A mere $300 would require around 30 hours of work, eight appointments donating plasma, or skipping around 60 meals. These are very real consequences for my peers and for me. With scholarship opportunities dwindling, rent prices increasing, and a cap of 20 hours per week on university-affiliated jobs, students are already struggling to make ends meet.”
Governor Reynolds has yet to sign the regents’ appropriation bill.