(The Center Square) – The Iowa Board of Regents approved tuition hikes at the state’s three universities on Thursday and approved pay raises for the presidents.
Undergraduate students from Iowa will pay 2.9% more in tuition and fees than in the 2023-2024 academic year, an increase of $319 to $11,283 a year. Out-of-state students will pay $33,371 a year, a 1.3% increase of $440.
Out-of-state students at Iowa State University will see the most significant jump in tuition and fees–$1,198 to $28,880.90, a 4.3% increase. Resident students will pay $10,786.90, a 2.8% increase.
Tuition rates and fees at the University of Northern Iowa will increase by 2.1% for both in-state and out-of-state students to $9,936.00 and $21,712.00.
Graduate students will also see an increase between 1.4% to 4.3%.
The increases come after the Iowa General Assembly gave the Board of Regents less of an increase than requested.
“At its September 2023 meeting, the Board requested an appropriations increase for FY 2025 (2024- 2025 academic year) of $14.8 million for the general university appropriations that support Regent higher education,” the Board said in meeting documents. “As passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor, the general university appropriations were increased $12.3 million (2.5% increase) for FY 2025 when compared to the current year.”
Students from each university said the tuition increase would create a hardship for some students.
“In the future, we need to look to the Iowa state government to raise appropriations, and I’m so proud to hear that you’re willing to work with you to help advocate for that increase in appropriations,” said Wren Bouwman, president of the Iowa State University Graduate Professional Students, told the Board. “However, budget decisions to help things move forward this year will impact enrollment next year, they will impact student decisions. “If we don’t stop asking students to shoulder these decisions, these costs will just be continuing to kick our economic difficulties down the road at the expense of the students we serve.’
The Board also agreed to increase the pay of University of Iowa President Barb Wilson by $60,000 a year to $760,000, according to information from the Board of Regents. Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen also received a $60,000 pay increase. Her annual salary is now $710,000 a year.
University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook received a $25,000 pay increase, making his annual pay $397,110, according to the Board.
