Students get tuition surcharge returned

IOWA CITY -- About $6 million will be returned to college students at Iowa's three regent universities under a bill signed into law Thursday by Gov. Chet Culver.

The supplemental appropriations bill, Senate File 2366, provides millions to state programs such as mental health services, the departments of corrections and public health and higher education - including more than $30 million to the regent universities to back fill the 10 percent state budget cut this year.  Of that money, about $6 million will be used to refund the $100 per student spring semester tuition surcharge at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa.

“We are extremely pleased to return these funds to students,” Regents President David Miles of West Des Moines said at the bill signing at the UI's Old Capitol.

While in Iowa City, Culver signed a second bill that will mean more oversight of Iowa's tax credit program. Senate File 2380 makes changes to several tax credits and sets up a procedure for legislative review and oversight of programs. It also suspends, until July 1, 2013, the film tax credit program, which was beset with charges of mismanagement.

Tax credits can be good for job creation and economic development, Culver said, but they need strong oversight.

“We must be vigilant in how these credits are used and how they are funded,” he said.

Culver said he doesn't consider the film credit program dead, despite the three-year suspension. Several movies were previously approved for money and will be filmed over the coming months, but new applications won't be accepted, he said.