UI asking out-of-state students to pay another $1,078 in tuition

UI increasing tuition for all other students by 3.8 percent

Jeff Charis-Carlson
Press Citizen

The Iowa Board of Regents is looking to raise tuition by 3 percent for resident undergraduates for the academic year that begins in August, according to documents released Friday.

The Old Capitol is seen on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015.

The proposed tuition hike would increase in-state base tuition for undergraduate students by $216 for the 2017-18 academic year at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa.

ISU and UNI officials have requested that the increase be applied across the board to all tuition classifications — including international, out-of-state, graduate and professional students. All the increases combined are expected to generate an additional $7.1 million at ISU and $2 million at UNI.

"This is an important time of year for students and families as they make college decisions," John McCarroll, a spokesman for ISU said via email. "Following the expected Board of Regents review of tuition this summer, we anticipate seeking more significant tuition increases for fiscal year 2019.”

UI officials, however, have requested a 3.8 percent increase for all other tuition classifications, which would increase base tuition for non-resident undergraduates by at least $1,078. The total tuition increase would generate an additional $16.5 million for UI.

Previous coverage:

    The proposed increases are in addition to the 2017 tuition hikes previously approved by the board for the 2017-18 academic year.

    The board voted in December to increase tuition by 2 percent for Iowa undergraduates at all three schools. During the same meeting, the board approved raising tuition for out-of-state students by 2.5 percent at UI, 3 percent at ISU and 0.8 percent at UNI.

    Regent officials said the proposed hike is needed to offset $20.75 million in midyear cuts to state funding to the three universities as well as a budget for the 2017-18 academic year that reduces state funding to the institutions by millions more.

    "This tuition increase creates a larger tuition increase than we would like to see, but will only cover a portion of the decreases in other revenues and inflation-driven increases in expenses," Mark Nook, president of UNI, said via email.

    The approved state funding for UI in 2017-18 is $15.5 million lower than what had been budgeted for the university for the 2016-17 academic year. 

      “With major cuts in appropriation, the state Legislature really has put the University of Iowa in a position where it lacks the revenue necessary to provide the quality education we expect,” said Jacob Simpson, president of the UI Student Government. “Yet again students are facing an unpredicted increase in tuition over the summer.”

      Simpson urged regent and university officials to stop speaking solely in terms of percentage increases alone.

      “With in-state students facing a 3 percent increase and out-of-state students facing a 3.8 percent increase, the difference might not sound like much,” he said. "But the proposal is asking for nearly $1,100 more from out-of-state students."

      When added to the tuition increases already approved, the total non-resident base tuition at UI for the year would be $29,130 — $1,764 more than such students paid last fall.

      Simpson said he and his colleagues are still studying the proposal and crafting the response they will offer the regents during the board's telephonic meeting at 10 a.m. Monday.

      A second reading and vote on the proposal will be scheduled for the regents' June 8 meeting in Cedar Falls.

      UI officials said the tuition proposal lives up to the compact with the state in terms of working to keep tuition affordable and reasonable for Iowa undergraduates.

      When it comes to out-of-state and gradate tuition, however, there are other factors at play, said Jeneane Beck, a UI spokesperson.

      Beck said the tuition proposal reflects UI’s need to attract and retain the highly trained faculty to provide students with a high-quality educational experience. UI remains among the bottom of its peer group in terms of resident undergraduate tuition as well as faculty salary.

      “We are a different institution than Iowa State and UNI,” Beck said. “They are our sister institutions, but they are not in the same peer group as we are, as set by the regents. It’s difficult to make direct comparisons. We all face different factors in terms of recruiting faculty and students.”

      The proposal would increase annual resident undergraduate tuition to $7,486 at UI and $7,456 at ISU and UNI. It calls for increasing undergraduate tuition for non-residents to $29,130 at UI, $21,292 at ISU, and $17,998 at UNI.

      Reach Jeff Charis-Carlson at jcharisc@press-citizen.com or 319-887-5435. Follow him on Twitter as @JeffCharis.