After near-20 percent tuition increases over the past two years, the Iowa Board of Regents has recommended a 7.9 percent increase in tuition for resident undergraduates for the next school year.

The board has recommended a tuition and fees increase of $398 for resident undergraduates and a $758 increase for nonresident undergraduates for the 2004—05 school year.

This increase, 7.9 percent for resident undergraduates and 5.3 percent for nonresident undergraduates, is a reduction from the tuition increases of recent years. Over the past three years, the Board of Regents have approved 51.6 percent in increases for resident undergraduates.

One major factor contributing to these increases has been the reduction in state funding support to the universities. Although it does not make up for state reductions, the universities have been forced to raise tuition to partially answer cuts and inflation.

The lower increase recommended for next year was made to find a balance between the funds needed to maintain quality at the universities and to keep the costs as moderate as possible for the students, said Gregory Nichols, executive director of the Board of Regents.

The increase is particularly sensitive to incoming freshmen and prospective students, Nichols said, due to the decrease in enrollment of incoming freshmen observed this year.

“We thought ‘let’s cut undergraduates a break, since it does seem to have an impact on the enrollment numbers,'” he said.

An 8.5 percent increase is recommended for graduate resident students and a 6.3 percent increase for nonresident graduate students.

Government of the Student Body President Mike Banasiak said he feels the recommendation is a break from the increases experienced over the past few years, but is still concerned with the decrease in funding from the Legislature toward higher education.

“I am glad that the increase is not as bad as it has been, but we need to be persistent with the state Legislature regarding the importance of higher education in this state,” Banasiak said.

University heads, Banasiak and student government leaders from the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa will voice their opinions on the tuition recommendation Thursday at the next Board of Regents meeting in Iowa City.

Nichols said he believes the general recommended increase is being looked upon favorably by the regents and does not expect considerable change before the regents vote on the increase in Cedar Falls in November.

“I think everybody, following the debate [between the regents] in Iowa City next week, will have a better sense of where we will be moving,” he said.

Nichols said anyone has the opportunity to give input to the regents about the increase over the next month.

The regents will take the input they receive into account before voting on the tuition increase in November, he said.