Board trims Idaho colleges’ desired tuition increases

MOSCOW, Idaho –The Idaho Board of Education has approved tuition increases for all four of Idaho’s public colleges and universities, but not as much as the schools wanted.

“We had a really systematic view of the increases,” said board President Rod Lewis at Thursday’s meeting. “In the end we tried to put together an approach that was fair to all the institutions.”

Lewis said that the board wanted to cut the size of tuition increases because the Legislature gave higher education a 6.46 percent general fund increase.

The request from Boise State University was cut to 7.3 percent from 8.7 percent, setting tuition at $4,154 for residents for the 2006-2007 school year. The University of Idaho’s request of 9.5 percent was cut to 5.85 percent, making tuition $4,200. Idaho State University’s request of 7 percent was reduced to 4.75 percent, making tuition $4,190. Lewis-Clark State College saw its 6 percent request cut to 4.5 percent for a tuition of $3,897.

The board turned down UI President Tim White’s request for a 9.5 percent increase even though White told the board that if it wasn’t approved, programs would suffer so much that some students might end up paying the higher cost of attending school an additional year.

“That’s an order of magnitude increase, at least,” White said.

He also said the university needed to set aside more money for faculty salaries.

“This is a crisis, ladies and gentlemen,” White said.

Humberto Cerrillo, UI student body president, said many students favored the higher increase because the money would go toward studying abroad programs and new diversity and sustainability centers.

He said the diversity center would lead to a mix of students with more varied backgrounds, and the sustainability center would lead to a greener campus.

“We won’t be legislated into mediocrity,” Cerrillo said. “These aren’t wants, but needs. I don’t think you can tell us we’re wrong in assessing our needs.”