The controversy over the proposed tuition increase at three Iowa universities continued at the Iowa State Board of Regents meeting Wednesday afternoon.

This time, students from the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa were able to voice their opinions regarding the proposed increase in tuition.

The students were represented by officers of each of the student governments at the three universities.

ISU Government of the Student Body President Bryan Burkhardt made the first presentation given by the students.

Burkhardt said he applauded the board for its efforts to improve the quality of higher education for students at Iowa universities, and for seeking to help ISU in its goal to become the best land-grant institution in the nation.

“I do applaud the board for establishing a strategic plan for the university, and I will say that ISU supports by consensus, a lot of priorities of the board, especially regarding undergraduate and graduate education,” he said.

However, Burkhardt made it clear that he did not approve of a 5.2 percent tuition increase for students to increase the funding of various programs at the universities, or as a means to help achieve ISU’s goal.

“I think that too much, too soon may be a dilemma for students,” he said. “You cannot throw too much money at programs and expect them to work.”

Burkhardt said he also has concerns regarding funding for financial aid.

The amount of financial aid given to students is too low to support a tuition increase, Burkhardt said.

“For example, the board’s proposed 5.2 percent increase rate exceeds the Pell Grant increase of 4.17 percent. And the average mean of financial awards increased last year only 5.3 percent,” he said.

Also, the proposed increase impedes ISU’s commitment of affordability and access for its students, Burkhardt said.

Student government presidents of the other two universities expressed similar sentiments regarding the proposed increase.

Matt Klaus, president of UNI’s student government, said the UNI student government decided to conduct a survey among students at the school to see what they thought about the tuition increase.

“About roughly half of the students favor a tuition increase, and half of them don’t,” he said.

However, most polled felt that the tuition increase should be less than 4 percent, Klaus said.

Brian White, president of U of I’s student government, said U of I students also were surveyed regarding their opinions of the tuition increase.

White said survey results found that “students are unconvinced that increased funding will lead to an increase in quality.”

Although the student government presidents expressed disapproval of the proposal, the presidents of their respective universities expressed an entirely different view.

U of I President Mary Sue Coleman said she supported the proposed increase because the money was needed to upgrade technology and help fund various programs at the university.

Coleman also said the money would keep a stable retention rate of students at the university, which “is at a low.”

However, Coleman said she does not expect students to have to foot the entire bill.

“We do not expect students to bear all of the burden. We will continue to raise financial aid, we will continue to raise private funding, and we will continue to pursue other options as well,” she said.

UNI President Robert Koob said he also supported the increase because he believed that quality could only be improved by increased investment.

ISU President Martin Jischke also expressed his support for the tuition increase.

“I would like to offer the observation that tuition and fees at ISU are very low — it only costs about $20 per day to be a student at ISU,” he said.

Jischke also said ISU needs more support to achieve its land-grant mission.

“The taxpayers of Iowa are very generous in their contributions, and the alumni and friends of the university are even more generous and have substantially invested in our university,” he said.

“I do not believe it is unreasonable for students and their families to contribute to the aspirations of the university to become the best land-grant university in the nation,” he said.

The board will vote on the tuition increase at its meeting next month in Cedar Falls on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22.