Student groups at Iowa State are working closely with Iowa legislators in hopes of giving higher education issues more prominence during this year’s legislative session.

The ISU Ambassadors and the Government of the Student Body are working with the other two state regent universities to better the perception that legislators and Iowans have of them.

“Our goal is to connect Iowa State with local hometowns and state government,” said Angela Groh, director of government relations for the ISU Ambassadors.

Groh, who created the ISU Ambassadors program one year ago, said the proposal for transformation and excellence, which would slow the increasing tuition, is a key legislation the group is working to pass. If passed, the proposal for transformation and excellence would only allow a tuition increase of 4 percent annually over the next four fiscal years, Groh said.

According to regents documents, undergraduate resident tuition has increased by 62 percent at Iowa State since the 2000-01 school year.

The regents approved a plan to partner with the Legislature for an annual funding increase of $40 million during the next four years. If the Legislature agrees to the requested allocations, the universities would internally redirect $1 for every $2 spent by the state — $20 million annually. It’s expected that Iowa State would receive roughly $15 million of the $40 million increase and reallocate approximately $7.5 million.

“This would show that there is an actual investment made by the university,” Groh said. “It would provide capital to change things we previously did not have enough money to do.”

Many things are being done to create awareness of the ISU Ambassadors’ cause, said Rachel Geilenfeld, chief of staff for the ISU Ambassadors. She said ambassador members have sent editorials explaining the work the ambassadors do to their hometown newspapers, totaling about 40 towns in Iowa. The ambassadors have about 70 members.

On Feb. 15, Iowa State will join the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa at the Iowa Statehouse for Regents Day at the Capitol. The day will be a chance for representatives from the three regent universities to meet with legislators and highlight their respective universities.

“We want to showcase what Iowa State brings to the state of Iowa,” said Jared Bartel, director of ISU Ambassadors.

Groh organized this event for the first time last year. She said last year’s event was successful, so this year’s will be larger.

Bartel said the ambassadors have released ISU Update, a publication meant to give the entire state a positive view of Iowa State.

“It is an overview of what is happening at ISU,” Bartel said. “We want to focus on the positive.”

Groh said that in early March, a meeting titled “Meet the Future of Iowa” will be held at Iowa State. A formal legislative reception will be highlighted by a speech from Gov. Tom Vilsack. The funding of higher education will be the focus of the event, Groh said.

Gary Steinke, deputy executive and public affairs director for the Board of Regents, said he could sum up ISU Ambassadors efforts to influence Iowa legislators in one word: “fantastic.”