As the summer session approaches, Government of the Student Body leaders are gearing up for an eventful three months.

GSB President Matt Craft and Vice President Garrett Toay plan to meet throughout the summer with Iowa State Board of Regents members concerning tuition.

“Our main focus over the summer is on tuition,” Toay said. “We are going to go to meetings with the Board of Regents and discuss why we feel that tuition rates are going too high and what we think should be done.”

The GSB leadership is looking forward to working hard this summer, Craft said.

“We will be doing research this summer by compiling numbers and other stuff,” he said.

“We won’t know what the proposed [tuition] hike will be until September, but until then, we can prepare for it by looking at the hikes over the last couple years,” Craft said.

Toay said meetings will be held every month with the Board of Regents, and he and Craft are preparing a tuition proposal.

“Matt met with them last week pertaining to room and board, which they decided to raise,” Toay said.

The GSB leaders said they will take the stance that tuition should be increasing at the rate of inflation.

“We know they are going to raise it,” Toay said. “We are fighting for how much.”

GSB is looking to curb the increase next year, and Toay said he feels there is a “pretty good chance” of success.

“The inflationary rate is at 3 percent, and they have to increase it to match it,” he said. “But there is also the quality education increase, which is 1.5 percent — that is the one that we want to try to deter them from raising.”

Craft said several other things must be done before the fall semester begins.

“Both Garrett and myself and half the cabinet will be here over the summertime to do work and prepare for next year,” he said.

“We will be working with the cabinet on planning some of the events for next year, and we will plan matters concerning the cabinet,” Craft said.

The executives need to get many things ready before the next senate session begins, Toay said.

“Other things that we plan on doing is simply putting all of our eggs in a row for next year,” he said. “We are going to get the cabinet up and running and just get ready for next year.”

In addition, GSB’s intergovernmental affairs committee will work with the state legislator for a bill concerning textbooks.

Once all of the “grunt” work is finished this summer, next year’s session should be very successful, Toay said.

“I am really happy with this year’s senate,” he said. “We have good people around us, and we need to start working with the administration better.

“In all actuality, there are two sides, and if they don’t work together, nothing gets done,” Toay said.