Regents signal support for (small) dorm rate increases for Iowa universities

AMES - Although students planning to live in a residence hall on Iowa's public university campuses next fall likely will pay more than this year, administrators say the increases are the smallest in years, and regents praised the campuses for collaborating to bring down costs.

The Board of Regents on Wednesday, meeting at Iowa State University, heard the first of two required readings on proposed residence hall rate increases. The board will be asked to approve the higher costs at its next meeting in April.

Last year at this time, the regents admonished the universities for failing to secure a new, collaborative food contract, enabling lower dining expenses across the three campuses, and the board vowed not to approve any more housing rate increases until they did.

Over the summer, the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa signed a combined 'prime food vendor” contract with Martin Bros. Distributing Supplier, while UI Hospitals and Clinics signed a separate food contract with Sysco Iowa, due to the hospital's different needs and services.

The new combined contract is expected to save more than $600,000 a year.

That, according to the university's housing directors, is part of the reason they're able to keep rate increases to a minimum for the next year.

Where past residence hall rate increases have been in the 3 percent or higher range, the biggest increase among the universities this year is at ISU, where for the most common double occupancy rooms - with meal plans - students will see a 1.9 percent bump, or an extra $161, bringing the room and board to $8,517.

UI students will see the smallest increase next year - 0.5 percent or $48 more - although they'll continue paying the highest rate, at $10,015, for the most common room and board plan.

UNI students will see an increase on par with Iowa State - 1.8 percent or $152 more, for a total $8,629.

The new rates will come on top of two consecutive tuition increases, with a third on tap for next fall.

Resident undergraduates for the 2017-18 school year will pay $7,270 at the UI and $7,240 at ISU and UNI, which is nearly 9 percent more than the $6,678 that UI resident undergraduates and $6,648 that those at ISU and UNI paid during a multiyear tuition freeze that ended in 2016.

Tuition is going up more for out-of-state students at the three campuses and for those who enroll in graduate or professional programs or take courses in costlier programs.

When combining tuition and mandatory fees, other auxiliary costs and the proposed new room and board rates, a resident undergraduate student living in a residence hall under the most common room and board plan would pay $21,968 at UI, $20,362 at ISU, and $20,214 at UNI.

All three campuses on Thursday reported to regents that new residence halls have decreased their need to lease off-campus space, increase double rooms to triples and turn away interested students, thus limiting cost increases.

At the UI, residence hall occupancy is expected to grow more than 7,000 by the end of the 2018 academic year, thanks to the addition of the Elizabeth Catlett Residence Hall, which will house 1,049 students on the east side of campus.

That, according to enrollment projections included in a new regents report, will account for about 20 percent of the total UI student body, which is expected to be between 34,000 and 35,000 through 2022.

Iowa State's housing occupancy is expected to grow to 12,627 in five years, accommodating more than 33 percent of the projected 37,600-plus students.

UNI's residence hall occupancy is expected to increase slightly to more than 4,500, housing more than 36 percent of its anticipated 12,557 students.

l Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com