Tuition surcharge could come up Thursday

It's possible the state Board of Regents on Thursday will reconsider a $100 spring semester tuition surcharge the board approved in December.

Several regents said there has been discussion that the surcharge may be reversed, given Gov. Chet Culver's recommendation to restore $14 million to the regent institutions from a 10 percent cut this year. But regents said there seems to be no consensus about if the surcharge discussion will even come up, and if it has the support to be reversed.

Greta Johnson, the Iowa State University student regent, said she is unsure about how she would vote if the idea is proposed at Thursday's meeting in Ames. The board has already passed it for the current semester and told students it was in place, Johnson said.

"I'm still on the fence about it," she said. "My main issue will be with consistency. What kind of message will it send?"

Regents President David Miles today could not say for sure that the question will be raised Thursday. The board tomorrow is set to vote on a proposed 6 percent tuition increase for next year. The board also is meeting in Ames today, but spent the majority of the day in closed session for the midyear evaluation of institution heads.

"We'll talk about tuition tomorrow and let the conservation go where it goes," Miles said. "There's clearly some thought being given to it."