Times are tough for regent universities in Iowa as statewide budget cuts present dilemmas that not only lead to tuition increases but also cause large losses of state funds.

In total, the three Iowa public universities will lose $21.4 million in state appropriations, with Iowa State losing upward of $9 million. As a result, several projects have been put on hold on campus in order to keep the university’s budget in balance.

During the February Board of Regents meeting, Iowa State President Steven Leath addressed the cuts and their impact on the university.

“Investment in public higher education is an investment in a prosperous Iowa long term,” Leath said. “We are facing a very difficult budget challenge. The cut we are seeing now is very unfortunate.”

Leath said much of the force behind the budget cuts will be absorbed through the cancellation and delay of several deferred maintenance projects.

By pulling updates to Kildee Hall as well as renovations to the Iowa State Conference Center, a total of $4.7 million is expected to be saved. Along with delayed projects, Iowa State will halt further faculty searches and leave several unnamed positions empty in order to save $2.2 million.

A final million is projected to be saved through the delayed purchase of new computer systems for various campus buildings.

Though these measures are in place to mitigate the effects of budget cuts, tuition will need to be increased in order to keep up with increasing university enrollment numbers, according to the regents.

“I think the $30 million cut is something, after the cut in February, that will be hard for the universities to absorb,” Rastetter said. “Clearly the ‘2+2’ isn’t going to work, so we’ve asked the board office to come back and create a task force to engage stakeholder in Des Moines and Iowa.”

After May 1, the newly formed tuition task force will meet to discuss the proposed 3 percent increase to the already approved 2 percent increase.