Updated at 11:10 p.m. CDT May 5, 2005

Two years ago, the decision to attend Iowa State was an easy one for Terri Russo, junior in chemical engineering.

But now, as she grabs a stack of clothes from her father Thursday to load into the family van as she moves out of her Frederiksen Court apartment for the summer, Russo said she wonders if she would have made the same decision today.

Two years ago, she came to Iowa State because its tuition was substantially less than the cost of attending a public university in her home state of Illinois. But now, tuition increases at Iowa State during the past five years have pushed the cost of education on campus to little over what Illinois universities are offering to students.

And even more unsettling for Russo and other ISU students is the announcement made by the Board Regents on Thursday that tuition — which is already set to increase 4 percent next year — could increase by another 3 percent during the spring to cover a possible $18 million shortfall in state appropriations. Related article

The House has passed a $15 million increase in funding for the regent universities, and a bill in the Senate included $22 million as of late Thursday. The board and the universities have said a $40 million increase is needed if the universities are to cap tuition increases, provide faculty and salary increases — which have not been fully funded by the Legislature since 1999 — and maintain the quality of education on campus.

Undergraduate resident tuition at Iowa State has increased 73 percent since 2000-01.

With yet another steep increase in tuition possible, Russo wonders whether an Illinois school would have been a better choice.

“I like it here; I wouldn’t leave because of tuition, but if I had been making that decision now versus two years ago, it may have influenced my decision,” she said. “I guess I’m lucky because I don’t have to worry about it as much as other people.”

For Chasity Maxwell, junior in elementary education, the increase equates to a heftier burden in paying off college loans — as is the case for many ISU students.

Maxwell is paying for her education at Iowa State solely with student loans — taking out $7,000 to $11,000 each year she has been at Iowa State.

“Sometimes I think I’d rather die than have to pay off loans,” she jokes with her father as they stand by the family truck, which is loaded with all of her belongings. “The more tuition goes up, the more I have to pay after I graduate. I’m going to be a teacher, so it’s going to be a long time.”

Just as the potential increase would cause students to dig deeper in their pockets to cover the additional costs, families, as well, are faced with having to tighten their belts even further.

“It will just have to come out of somewhere else in the family budget,” said Richard Russo, Terri’s father.

He and his wife pay for Russo’s tuition, as well as tuition for their other daughter, who does not attend Iowa State.

“It seems like an awful lot, especially since we’re out of state. We’re already paying a premium,” he said, looking over to his daughter and adding, “The scholarship you got just got eaten up by this increase.”

Lawrence Winkler of Clive said he is concerned about the amount of debt his daughters in pre-veterinary medicine will have to pay. Winkler said his daughters, Laura and Elizabeth, have taken out a combined $10,000 in loans.

“My wife and I make too much for our daughters to get federal grants or need-based financial aid. You’re either too poor to afford college, or you’re so rich you don’t care,” he said. “The middle class pays it all. We get the brunt of it. We’re certainly not living in luxury.”

Winkler and countless others, including legislators, have criticized the state for not granting the universities more funding.

“These tuition increases are making it harder and harder for access to higher education in Iowa for students,” said Rep. Lisa Heddens, D-Ames.

Heddens sponsored an amendment that would have given the regent universities full funding, but was struck down last week in the House.

“Students will either not choose to go to the universities or look outside of Iowa,” she said. “We’re outpricing education for all students, which is disappointing. If we truly believe in education, then we need to be funding it.”

Legislative support to the regents has decreased 15 percent since budget cuts began.

“Education doesn’t seem to be important to [legislators],” Winkler said. “I think it’s pretty sad that they can’t dig deeper into their pockets to find the money. Education is an investment you never lose on.”

Others have criticized the universities and the regents for shifting the burden for costs and lack of state funding to students. They say top education officials have been too willing to rely on tuition increases to make up for shortfalls.

“I think what has preliminary been agreed upon at the $22 million — I think that is very adequate,” said Senate Republican leader Stewart Iverson, of Dows. “They’re getting one of the largest increases in recent years, and to turn around and tell students tuition is going to increase another 3 percent is wrong. I think it is uncalled for.”

Maxwell said she agreed, adding the university could find some other way to fund what they need besides using tuition.

The regents, however, say they have been left with little option.

“We have already gone to our universities. They’ve already trimmed a lot over the last four years, and we’ve asked them to do it again,” Davenport Regent Amir Arbisser said after the regents’ Thursday meeting in Cedar Rapids. “We are experiencing long-term quality declines in our educational program because we don’t have the money to fund it. The money is necessary in order to provide the quality of education.”

The Board has scheduled an additional meeting in July at Iowa State to discuss final approval for supplemental tuition increases for the next academic year.