IOWA CITY — The state of Iowa was pressured from all sides Wednesday to better fund higher education.

With a new report in hand from an independent national organization jabbing the state for the low affordability of its universities, the Board of Regents tested the commitment of the Legislature to higher education funding.

The regents approved a plan to partner with the Legislature for an annual funding increase of $40 million dollars 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.

In following with that plan and efforts to combat further decreased state funding, the board also authorized the request of $558 million in state appropriations for fiscal year 2006, which includes the new investment of $40 million above this year’s state funding levels.

State appropriations for this fiscal year for the regent universities are $102.3 million less than they were in 2001.

Appropriations covered 60 percent of university education costs then, but now support less than 49 percent of those operations. The gap has been made up through increased tuition and cutting costs at universities.

Officials said if these appropriation levels are met, the need for tuition increases beyond those required by inflation would be eliminated.

“The expected response from the Legislature is, ‘We don’t have the money.’ Well, our response is, reallocate like we’re willing to do, and make us one of your top priorities,” said student Regent Jenny Rokes, a senior at the University of Northern Iowa. She supported the plan.

The four-year appropriation increase would equal taxpayers paying an additional $14 per year.

“We aren’t necessarily saying we want taxes to increase to compensate; that’s not our mission,” Rokes said. “Our argument is making education a big priority by understanding the benefits.”

The board also changed its tuition policy to allow differential supplemental tuition rates.

“There’s no reason to expect the $40 million every year, so there’s no reason to come forward in November or December with supplemental tuition,” said John Forsyth, board president.

ISU Government of the Student Body Vice President William Rock said he is pleased with the four-year plan and the tuition policy change.

“The thing I like about it most is it localizes a large portion of tuition, and it’s a great idea to tie tuition increases to [the Higher Education Price Index],” Rock said. “It’s a much more stable and predictable supplemental tuition increase.”

There are still questions about how differential tuition would be implemented by the universities. Student leaders pointed out the need for a formal review process that includes students.

The board unanimously approved proposals.

“We have reached a workable solution that puts the responsibility where it needs to be, which is on the Iowa Legislature’s doorstep,” said La Porte City Regent David Neil. “This is a plan from putting more burden on students, but … it will take a change of heart or change of faces in the Legislature if that’s to happen.”