The Board of Regents has decided to review current tuition policies before taking action on the tuition increase for the 2004-05 academic year.

During its meeting next Wednesday, board members will have the opportunity to discuss their desired changes to the current tuition policy.

“We are trying to draw from the board members any areas [that] a significant number of them are interested in exploring,” said Gregory Nichols, executive director of the Board of Regents.

Various areas open for discussion include charging different tuition amounts for different majors, class levels and credit hours being taken.

Since the 1990-91 academic year, resident undergraduate base tuition has been the same at Iowa State, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa. The time Regent members are required to set tuition rates will also be open for discussion.

By Iowa Code, a final decision on tuition increases must be made by the board’s November meeting — a meeting about five months before they know how much the universities will receive in state funds for the next year.

Typically, board members are presented in September with a tuition rate recommendation for the next academic year from the Board Office. The members then have the opportunity to discuss the recommended rate change during a September meeting.

The current status of the Board of Regents’ tuition policy was last approved in 1997. Since then, the economy has changed and the nature of funding provided to higher education by the state has decreased considerably, said Barbara Boose, communications specialist for the Board of Regents.

“At this time, the world is a different place,” she said. “It would be in good managerial sense [to review the policy] before looking at the numbers.”

Nichols said holding the recommendation off until October will allow regents to look at the situation today compared to when the tuition policies were originally approved. Regents will then be able to judge if there is a better way for the Regent universities to function before a tuition rate is set.

Another positive element to holding the recommendation until October is the opportunity for the public to give their input on broad tuition policies, Nichols said. In effect, the public will be able to give both input on policies and on the rate itself, which was not available in the last few years, he said.

Mike Banasiak, ISU Government of the Student Body president, will discuss proposing changes in the tuition process, financial aid and the structure of the Board of Regents with board members Wednesday, he said. This presentation will be part of a 15 minute time scheduled for student leaders from the three Regent universities to speak.

Banasiak will also discuss the student leaders’ plans this year to focus their efforts more on the state legislature. Banasiak said he will illustrate how the student leaders can work with the Board of Regents to open up better lines of communication with the state legislature.

“We know the problem lies in appropriations from the state,” he said. “We need to work with the regents to send a message to the state legislature that education needs to be a priority in this state.”

Regent Deborah Turner of Des Moines will preside as president during the September meeting. She will fill the position for President Owen Newlin, who is recovering from heart surgery.

The meeting is scheduled for Sept. 16 and 17 in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.