With the state budget finalized, a supplemental mid-year tuition increase is still likely.

The higher education funding increase was set at $24 million — the Board of Regents initially requested $40 million in funding to pay for planned increases in expenditures.

The mid-year tuition increase could be less than the originally planned 3 percent, which was based on the expected appropriation of $22 million.

“I would suspect that it is quite likely that there will be some increase, but I would be very hopeful that it would be smaller than the 3 percent that has been talked about during the waning stages of the legislative session,” said Iowa City Regent Bob Downer. “I think we did end up with somewhat more money than that number was based on.”

Barb Boose, director of communications for the Board of Regents, said appropriations came from three bills.

The education bill, HF 816, brought approximately $15 million in higher education funding. An infrastructure bill, HF 875, brought $6.25 million in state money and a supplemental bill, SF 342, gave an additional $2.8 million.

The Iowa Values Fund appropriation bill, HF 868, also gave $5 million, but with restrictions.

“That’s specifically for economic development purposes,” Boose said.

Warren Madden, vice president of business and finance, said of the $24 million, Iowa State’s share is approximately $9.6 million. Iowa State would have received $16 million from the $40 million initial request. Madden said both the infrastructure bill and supplemental bill are one-time appropriations — the $15 million is an ongoing appropriations increase.

“We’d have to reduce planned increased expenditures,” he said. “These are increases above the funding that’s available today, not actually cuts.”

Madden said proposed salary increases for faculty and staff, additional hirings and operating expenses must be reduced if a tuition increase does not pay for the deficit between the $9.6 million in appropriations and the $16 million request.

Boose said discussion over a mid-year tuition increase could take place during the Board’s June 13 to 14 meeting in Council Bluffs at the Iowa School for the Deaf. A request for an increase could be brought by the university presidents, Boose said.

Three members of the Special Student Fee and Tuition Committee, Tom Hill, vice president for student affairs, Pete Englin, dean of students and Jason Carroll, finance director for the Government of the Student Body, said a request for a tuition increase has been discussed, but a final decision will come from ISU President Gregory Geoffrey.

Hill said the committee recommended to Geoffrey that he request a tuition increase of 3 percent or less. He said the committee’s recommendation was made based on input from faculty, staff and students. Four members of GSB, including President Angela Groh and Vice President Chris Deal, sit on the committee.

Carroll said he thinks a tuition increase is necessary.

“There are essential services the university needs to fund,” he said. “If the legislature isn’t going to fund, we’re going to have to pick up part of it.”

Boose said any request for an increase would be made public on June 7.

West Des Moines Regent Teresa Wahlert said the Board has not had the chance to formally discuss a mid-year tuition increase.

“I think there are other ways to proceed; we need to discuss all the options,” she said.

In 2001, Regent university general education appropriations were $549 million. Appropriations in 2005 were $471 million, and based on the new budget could be around $500 million in 2006.