After a request by student leaders, the Iowa Board of Regents has postponed discussion of a possible mid-year tuition increase until next month’s meeting at Iowa State.

Although the Regents were scheduled to “consider recommendations” made by university presidents to raise tuition by 3 percent for the 2006 spring semester Tuesday at their meeting in Council Bluffs, the discussion was over in minutes after student body presidents from the three Regent universities declined to comment.

The meeting, scheduled for 10 a.m. July 14 at the Memorial Union, is over a single issue — the tuition increase — as according to Board policy, tuition increases must be decided at a Regent university.

“Since the vote will actually come in July, we thought it much more appropriate to do a presentation at that time,” said Government of the Student Body President Angela Groh.

She said the Regents were only scheduled to receive the report on Tuesday, and student body presidents are not yet ready to discuss the issue because higher education could still receive more state funding.

“I have spoken today with student leaders, and the student leaders have said they would like to defer making comment until the meeting in July,” said Gregory Nichols, executive director for the Board of Regents.

Groh said Gov. Tom Vilsack has discussed the possibility of additional funding. At the Regents meeting on Monday, Gartner also said it is a possibility.

“Hopefully, that’s something we should know by July 1,” Groh said. “We’re hoping, crossing our fingers that could be a possibility for last minute funding.”

She said the amount of additional funding, or where it would come from is unknown.

Barb Boose, communications specialist for the Board of Regents, said Vilsack has the opportunity to give left-over funds from state agencies to other agencies at the end of the fiscal year on June 30 before they revert back to the general fund.

“There are many uses for that money,” she said.

Mark Chidister, assistant to the president for budget planning and analysis, said the university budget has not been decided yet because of the possibility of a tuition increase or additional state funding.

In previous years, university budgets were decided on at the June Regents meeting; however, this year’s budgets are planned to be voted on at the Regent’s August meeting.

Chidister said this should not cause any problems for Iowa State, as the Board has already authorized universities to proceed with the planned pay increases, including the 3 percent increase for professional and scientific staff.

Franny Starkey, press secretary for Gov. Vilsack, said she had no specific information about potential plans to find additional, post legislative-session funding for higher education.

“In the next two years, the governor is going to push for more education funding at every level,” she said, citing the cigarette tax as a potential source of funding.

“There’s a variety of ways money could be raised to fund our priorities, and education is our top priority,” Starkey said.