Regents to consider room and board rate increases

The State Board of Regents will consider a proposal to raise the room and board rates at Iowa State, Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa when they meet in Ames next week. Students at U-N-I face the biggest proposed increase of 258 dollars for a double room, while Iowa’s is 191dollars and Iowa State’s is 175 dollars. Regents spokesperson Barb Boose says the difference is based on the board plans offered at each school. She says the residence systems offer such a wide variety of plans, from double-occupancy rooms to single apartments, and she says they also offer a variety of food plans. She says the rates are intended to reflect costs, but she says the costs vary widely. Boose says competition is driving U-N-I and Iowa State to make changes in the variety of room and board plans they offer. She says in Cedar Falls and Ames competition from private resident providers has increased. She says it’s a trend nationwide that universities are offering more residence and food options. Boose says the U-of-I apparently isn’t feeling as much pressure from private residences. She says they’ve been told there’s increase construction of private apartments, but she says that hasn’t been a factor yet. Boose says it’ll be two months before the Regents act on the proposals. She says they’ll review and discuss the proposed rates next week and will take final action at their next meeting in April. If approved, the increase would increase room and board for a double room at U-N-I to five-thousand-519 dollars, six-thousand-73 dollars at Iowa, and six-thousand-133 dollars at Iowa State University.