The Iowa Board of Regents will again discuss tuition rates and mandatory fees for Iowa’s public universities next Thursday and Friday.

The proposal includes expected increases in tuition rates — except for in-state ISU and UNI students, whose tuition spike will occur this spring — and increases in the mandatory fees associated with student life, from technology to health centers and recreation.

Also on the proposal is a $500 per year increase for all non-immigrant international students, in addition to the proposed rates for tuition. This fee, if approved by the regents next week, would apply to incoming and current international ISU students and would be assessed for three years.

The fee, if used appropriately, could be helpful to international students. Appropriate usage could include the International Students and Scholars Office, new orientation programs and resources to help students acclimate to life in the United States. 

The increased fee, according to the Board of Regents docket item, is because “faculty invest more time with these students in training to conduct research, defining expectations, developing methodologies, evaluating and analyzing results, as well as the preparation of manuscripts, theses, dissertations and publications.”

As of this fall, Iowa State lists the international student enrollment as 4,041 students from 116 countries. One year of this fee would mean an extra $2 million for the university that should go toward services that help the students have a more positive experience while at Iowa State.

The docket item also states that it’s possible the higher fees could affect enrollment, but that other universities that enact an international tuition rate have continued to see enrollment growth.

Other universities that have an international student-specific fee or spiked tuition include: the University of Wisconsin at the Madison and Platteville campuses; Ohio State University; the six-campus Purdue University system; the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Michigan State University; Pennsylvania State University; and the University of Minnesota at Twin Cities. Darrell Bazzell, vice president for finance and administration for UW Madison, provided a reason for the fee, saying, “The requirements we have to monitor international students are greater, and the cost of counseling and advising services is higher.”

This situation can be somewhat compared to that of the higher rates of tuition for students in design, engineering or other specific fields with higher tuition because these areas require more services and time.

While paying more for college is never anything students ever desire, if used for the right reasons increased fees or tuition can help make the student experience a more positive one. It’s up to the students to decide if paying more for a better experience is worth the hole in their pocketbooks.

However, if more problems arise related to the student experience, the university cannot continue to resort to charging students more to “maintain the student experience.” The university must think creatively on how to use the resources already available with the many bright young minds at Iowa State.