Iowa Board of Regents President Bruce Rastetter said Tuesday that tuition will go up at Iowa’s public universities again if the Iowa Legislature does not approve additional money requested this year.

Rastetter made his comments during an interview with The Des Moines Register’s editorial board Tuesday. A funding increase is needed to avoid passing on higher costs to students, he said.

The regents approved a motion last September asking the legislature for an increase of $20.3 million for the state schools that the board oversees. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s budget released in January only included a $7,934,042 increase.

“We need dollars somewhere between $8 and $20 [million] and so we’ll continue to negotiate for that,” Rastetter said. “If we don’t, we’ll have to raise tuition.”

Iowa State alone was requesting $8,190,000 to keep down costs, and President Steven Leath told the Daily in January that the legislature should allocate the money accordingly. 

“The legislature needs to know if they give us money, we will use it wisely,” Leath said in January.

The University of Iowa was asking for a $4,500,000 increase, while the University of Northern Iowa asked for a $7,650,000 increase.

Rastetter’s comments that at least $8 million need to be appropriated to avoid cost increases for students lines up with Branstad’s proposed budget but continues to be below what the regents unanimously approved. It will ultimately be up to the Iowa Legislature on how much money to approve.

Iowa State and Northern Iowa saw a 3 percent increase in tuition for this spring semester, while students at the University of Iowa will see an increase this fall.

Free college tuition

Rastetter also told the Register that he does not support ideas among Democratic presidential candidates for free tuition, adding that some students and families have to have “something in the game.”

“I think that’s the wrong direction to go,” Rastetter said. “I think that if students don’t have a stake in their education … or have to work for it, the cost of that college education, I can’t imagine of that would skyrocket.”

New University of Iowa president

Rastetter also answered questions related to the ongoing controversy surrounding the hiring of Bruce Harreld as the president of the University of Iowa.  

Many on campus made their concerns known during a town hall last month in Iowa City, but Rastetter said many people actually appreciated the open dialogue that Harreld was providing.

He also said any disdain for the hiring process is unfounded, adding many nominees asked for private meetings and dinner. Harreld specifically asked for a meeting with Leath at Iowa State to see if the two could work together, Rastetter said.