In a 7–2 vote, the Iowa Board of Regents voted Thursday morning to approve a 6 percent tuition increase for resident undergraduate and graduate students for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Proposed increase rates for out-of-state students vary by university. Iowa State proposed a 4.1 percent increase for non-resident students, while the proposed increase rate for non-residents was 6 percent at the University of Iowa and 3 percent at the University of Northern Iowa.

Support was unanimous from the university presidents and student body government presidents of the regents’ three universities in the discussion prior to the vote.

“At this point, I do agree that a 6 percent increase is a modest increase … and is needed,” said ISU Government of the Student Body President Jonathan Turk, following ISU president Gregory Geoffroy’s recommendation that the proposal be approved.

“My position, at the beginning of the discussion on tuition … was to highlight the implication on students and students’ families,” Turk said.

Several regents mentioned sleepless nights as part of their consideration of the proposed tuition increase. For those who opposed it, Gov. Chet Culver’s Jan. 27 announcement that he intends to restore $31 million to the regents’ fiscal year 2010 and 2011 budgets was cited as an important consideration.

Regents Ruth Harkin and Michael Gartner voted in opposition of the increase. Following the meeting, Harkin said, “I always think we should consider raising tuition as a last resort.”

Gartner cited a dismal Iowa economy as a reason to vote against the 6 percent increase.

“Although I realize life is very tough at the universities, from a financial standpoint, I do believe that it is easier for the unviersities, as institituions, to swallow this hardship than it is for the parents of the Iowan students,” Gartner said. Harkin stressed the importance of of “looking at the structure of universities” to increase efficiency.

“I very much fear that Iowa, the education state, is about ready to deprive many of the young men and women the opportunity to get an education, at least one that doesn’t leave them so burdened with debt that they can’t really live a life they would hope to live,” Gartner said.

Board of Regents President David Miles expressed concern that if the increase did not pass, the quality of the institutions would suffer.

“Our students are sacrificing, however you look at this,” Miles said. “They’re sacrificing whether we ask them to pay some additional money; they’re sacrificing as we go through and make the adjustments at our institutions.”

Following the tuition increase vote, Miles proposed the board vote to reimburse students for the $100 tuition spring semester surcharge that passed at the Dec. 10 Board meeting — contingent on the Iowa Legislature’s approval of Culver’s budget recommendation. The motion was approved unanimously, after some debate.

Addressing questions surrounding the logistics of rescinding the surcharge, ISU vice president for business and finance Warren Madden said there are “minimal administrative issues,” explaining that Iowa State students would receive a credit on their U-Bill. Miles cited the return of $31 million to the regents’ budget as an “alternative” the Board did not previously have.

Regent Craig Lang admitted he was initially uncertain of how to vote.

“I’m not sure how I want to vote, except to say education in Iowa should be a top priority for anyone in the state,” he said. Lang added that “the whole state of Iowa” must understand that education is an “investment.” When the board first voted on the surcharge, Lang opposed the measure. He did, however, approve the measure at the last Board of Regents meeting.

“We’re hopeful that the Iowa Legislature will approve Gov. Culver’s budget recommendation,” ISU President Geoffroy said, following today’s vote. “I think that both actions were appropriate, given the circumstances.”

Regent Greta Johnson, a senior in political science at Iowa State, expressed concern that the reimbursement of the surcharge might send a message of inconsistency to students. Ultimately, however, she supported the measure.

“I want my kids to be able to come back to Iowa State and have as good of an experience as I’ve had,” Johnson said after the vote.

Immediately following the votes, ISU GSB president Turk left Ames to attend the student government “Day on the Hill” event at the Iowa Capitol. He said he would encourage the Legislature to approve Culver’s budget recommendation.

To close the entire funding gap created by $130 million in lost state appropriations, a 26 percent tuition increase would be required, said regents’ chief business officer Patrice Sayre.