The Iowa Board of Regents will meet at 1 p.m. Thursday to hold a first reading of proposed 2021-22 tuition and fee rates according to the meeting notice from the Board of Regents. The meeting happens annually, although last year, the Board froze all tuition and fee increases due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the agenda for the meeting, the proposed tuition rates for the 2021-22 academic year at Iowa State include a base undergraduate resident increase of $282. The proposed increase for nonresident undergraduate students is $906, and mandatory fees are expected to rise by $36 for both residents and nonresidents.

Tuition rates alone for Iowa residents have risen by $1,394 from 2016 to 2021 and by $3,462 for nonresidents, according to the Iowa State University Fact Book. At almost every university, both public and private, tuition rates increase annually because as costs rise, revenue is also expected to rise.

The Board will also discuss the 2021-22 proposal to complete a simplification of the tuition rate structure for Iowa State. Iowa State’s goal is to simplify differential tuition rates over three years by phasing into two differential rate categories, called rate A and rate B, according to agenda item two. The revenue generated from differential tuition assessments will be used to maintain the quality of the academic programs and support costs of instruction as the agenda item states.

For anyone who would like to attend the virtual meeting, livestreaming of the open session will be available on the Board of Regents website along with the meeting materials available for review.