The agenda for the Board of Regents meeting next month now includes a tuition freeze. The board met October 23rd with a proposal for a slight increase that would have raised the tuition for in-state students at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa by about $116.
The student body presidents of each of the schools said they would be okay with a small increase if it meant maintaining the quality of the education they receive.
The discussion quickly changed though, as Regent Larry McKibben of Marshalltown expressed concerned about figures showing Iowa college students graduating with the sixth highest debt load in the country, and said he would move to freeze tuition for a third year at the December 3rd board meeting.
The agenda information released by the Board of Regents staff for that December meeting says a tuition freeze would reduce projected revenues by $4.5 million. McKibben said recently the schools could make up some of the difference through their ongoing effort to cut costs and improve efficiency. Governor Terry Branstad says he likes the idea of the tuition freeze, but can’t fully lend his support to the idea until he sees the December projections for tax revenue.