The Iowa State Board of Regents will vote on the proposed 5.2 percent tuition hike in today’s meeting at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

Opposition to a tuition hike continues among student leaders at Iowa State.

Lisa Ahrens, student regent and sophomore in agronomy, said she thinks the proposed 5.2 percent increase is too much.

“[If the proposal is passed], students will be disappointed,” Ahrens said. “It’s hard to raise tuition, let alone raise it that much.”

The proposed 5.2 percent increase is 2 percent over the inflation rate of 3.2 percent, and it is the first time an increase in tuition over the inflation rate has been tried.

Ahrens said a 2 percent quality initiative is too high, and she would like to see it around 4 percent.

She said raising tuition this year would be especially hard, since commodity prices are down and are affecting Iowa farmers.

Government of the Student Body President Bryan Burkhardt also is in opposition to the increase.

“I think the Board of Regents needs to evaluate all the information and come back with a lower proposal,” Burkhardt said.

He believes ISU should strive to become a university of the highest quality, but he also said a 5.2 percent increase is too much.

“In my opinion, a 4 percent tuition increase would achieve a good quality and still maintain HEPI [high education price index],” he said.

Representatives of the Inter-Residence Hall Association also feel the proposal is unfair. IRHA recently passed a bill supporting GSB’s postcard campaign and telephone survey in opposition to the increase.

The postcard campaign and telephone survey were conducted earlier this month for students at ISU, and the results were mailed to the board.

While the student leaders are in opposition, ISU President Martin Jischke still favors the proposal.

“President Jischke supports the increase because it not only allows the university to maintain its quality,” said John McCarroll, director of University Relations, “but [it] also allows the university to enhance the quality [of education].”

McCarroll said the proposal would result in a $150 per year increase but added that ISU would still remain very competitive in its peer group.

ISU’s peer group includes Michigan State University, the University of Minnesota, the University of Illinois, the University of California-Davis, Ohio State University, Purdue University, Texas A&M University, North Carolina State University and the University of Arizona.

McCarroll added that along with the increase, there would be more of a mandate for financial aid.

Some alternatives to a tuition hike do exist, Ahrens said.

Ahrens said the board can change the percentage of the increase.

“[The Board of Regents] can put a motion on the floor for a lower percent,” Ahrens said. “The regents have the power to alter that number.”

Burkhardt recommended that students keep in touch with the board and GSB, to try to keep tuition down.

“[The] only thing students can do is to maintain a positive communication with regents and the Government of the Student Body on their own,” Burkhardt said.

Burkhardt said there still is hope for a reduced increase.

“I’m a little leery,” Burkhardt said, “but I still have a little optimism.”

Ahrens said the board is split about raising tuition.

She said the vote will probably be five to four in favor or in opposition to the proposal.

Other issues to be discussed at the meeting include a vote on allowing plans for the ice hockey arena in Ames to proceed, and all three university presidents will be giving speeches on distance learning.