ISU leaders and Iowa Board of Regents members threw their support behind the proposed 2007-08 tuition hikes during the board’s general meeting Wednesday at the Scheman Building.

ISU President Gregory Geoffroy and Government of the Student Body president and vice president Emily Jensen and Sara Faber said they agreed with and supported next year’s 5.2 percent resident and 3.4 percent nonresident increase that is in-step with inflation and the Higher Education Price Index – an inflationary guide to higher education costs.

“Students really find it justifiable when tuition increases remain within the HEPI,” Jensen said of the proposal.

Geoffroy also “strongly supported” the proposed increase, which is dependent on a $72 million appropriations request to be made to the newly elected state legislature. Without the request, both board president Michael Gartner and board executive director Gary Steinke said 2007-08 tuition increases will be higher than the current projections.

“Now that we know who the Legislature and the governor are, we need to go talk to them and talk about the Regents’ legislative request,” Steinke said.

“[We need to] see where they are, make them understand that it’s an absolute necessity to fund the Regent institutions at a level that the universities currently have.”

Along with the increase in base tuition, mandatory student fees will see a proposed 4.5 percent increase next school year. The total increase in student costs – minus housing – would be 5.1 percent for resident students and 3.5 percent for nonresidents.

Gartner, though, stressed the board’s mandate requiring institutions to set aside a minimum of 15 percent from gross tuition proceeds for student financial aid will limit the impact on students.

The numbers in the Regents’ proposal are just the “sticker price,” Gartner said.

“When you average it across, it’s actually a 4.2 or 4.3 percent increase. So the universities right off the top are not raising their tuition at the rate of HEPI. They’re raising it 20 percent below the rate of HEPI.”

University of Iowa Interim President Gary Fethke and University of Northern Iowa President Benjamin Allen also supported the proposed increased tuition and fees, as did the student government leaders of both institutions. The board – which meets again Thursday at the Scheman Building – will take action on the proposed tuition and fees increases at its Dec. 11 and 12 meetings in Iowa City.