Pizza, socks, gallons of gas, rent… College students put their dollars towards a variety of items. 

With the proposed five-year tuition increase of 7 percent a year for in-state undergraduate students and 4 percent a year for out-of-state undergraduate students, more of their income will now be going towards tuition. 

One focus interim president Benjamin Allen had in the needs for a proposed higher tuition was the student-to-faculty ratio, which he believes to be too high.

“In order [to] maintain the quality education [of students], faculty-student has to be better,” Allen said. “You pay a lot of money to come here, we want to make sure you get the quality education you deserve.”

Gov. Kim Renyolds has stated that Iowa families cannot afford the tuition hike.

“There is no way that Iowa families could afford a 7 percent increase over five years,” Reynolds said.

Allen responded to the statement.

“We are always sensitive to what increases in tuition do to families, we know that it’s a challenge,” said Allen. 

By the end of the five years, the yearly increases would accumulate to $3,081 for in-state undergraduate students and $4,613 for out-of-state undergraduate students. For common college student purchases, this is how far the money could go.

In-State

Out-of-State

• 402 large pizzas
• 46 textbooks
• 1,311 gallons of gas
• 1,027 pairs of socks
• 973 6-packs of beer
• 5 months of rent