Fall tuition rates expected next month

At the next Iowa Board of Regents' meeting on April 22, the three regent universities have been asked to offer a preliminary indication of the low-enrollment programs they intend to eliminate. Regent Christine Hensley made the request at the board's Feb. 26 meeting following updates about each campus' review of programs that meet low-enrollment benchmarks, defined as fewer than 25 majors in an undergraduate major and fewer than 10 in a graduate major. 

Provost Jason Keith summarized Iowa State's review process, in which impacted departments submitted their assessment forms to college deans by Feb. 27, and college reports were submitted by March 3 to the provost's office for review and action decisions by the provost's cabinet. He noted that changes would adhere to the university's normal process and timeline for changing academic programs, including action at the department, college and Faculty Senate levels before reaching the board for final approval.

First discussion on tuition increases

Iowa State has proposed a 3% tuition increase for resident undergraduates and all graduate students, a 4% increase for all students in the professional Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program and a 4.5% increase for nonresident undergraduates.

In a timeline shift from recent tuition-setting years, last spring's College Affordability Act (Iowa House File 440) requires the regents to approve fall tuition by April 30. Hensley objected to the tuition rate-setting process, which involved some, but not all of the regents. She also said the board's tuition decision needs to be more cognizant of affordability for students.

Board president Robert Cramer said his goal also is to keep tuition as low as possible, while noting that the proposed 3% increase reflects:

• State appropriations, which provide less than one-third of operations support, are unknown until later this spring.
• A higher education projected inflation rate of 3.6%.
• Board policy that a minimum 18% of tuition revenue is used for need-based scholarships.
• Consideration for a cost-of-living increase to employee salaries.

Cramer asked the board's standing committees to discuss the proposed rates prior to the April meeting, when a vote would be required to meet the April 30 deadline.

2026-27: Proposed tuition and fees

*Doesn't reflect various supplementary tuition

In addition, Iowa State will seek a flat $24.50 increase in mandatory fees for all students. Total mandatory fees vary between $1,525 and $1,585. The increase would be shared  among the technology fee ($10), Memorial Union fee ($3.10) and recreation fee ($11.40). 

Regent study topics

In his general comments, Cramer asked the board's academic affairs committee to look at the faculty review processes at the three universities, first for consistency, and also "to ensure that student feedback is valued."

The goal, he said, is "not to dictate what faculty teach, but to engage the students so they have a voice, to us and to our legislative friends."

Cramer also asked the academic affairs committee to study options for a second accreditation option, in addition to the Higher Learning Commission. 

"This is to give us more options to make sure we're not held hostage by having just one accreditation source," he said.

"We're proud of the things our universities do, but we can always improve," he said. "We look forward to working with our universities to make them the gold standard the rest of the country chases."

Parking permit rates could rise 3%

ISU's parking division requested a 3% increase ($2-$33) on employee parking permits for the fiscal year that begins July 1. No changes are proposed for parking meters and metered lots. The regents' vote on the rates is anticipated at the April 23 meeting.

Proposed changes to employee parking permits

*Includes residence, Ames Lab staff

Annual and seasonal permits for the Memorial Union ramp also would go up 3% this summer, as proposed. The ramp is operated by the Memorial Union, not the university's parking division. No changes are requested to hourly rates or penalty fees at the ramp.

Proposed changes to Memorial Union parking permits

All rates rounded to whole dollars

Housing, dining rate increases also reviewed

Associate vice president for campus life Joe Paulick summarized a proposed 5% increase to room rates and a 2% increase to meal plans to cover inflationary increases and continued investments in the facilities. That would translate to room increases of $192 to $419 depending on variables such as hall, number of roommates and air conditioning. The standard double room (no AC) with an unlimited dining center meal plan and $250 in portable dining dollars each semester would cost $11,265, an increase of $385 (3.5%) over the current rate.

The residence department's projected capacity for FY 2027 is 11,168 beds, roughly two-thirds of which are in residence halls and the rest in campus apartments. Occupancy rates are estimated at 96%-97% through 2031. 

The regents' vote is anticipated at the April 23 meeting.

Green light for other Iowa State requests

In other business, the regents approved Iowa State requests to:

• Expand the budget (to nearly $5.1 million) and plans for improvements to Lake LaVerne. Private gifts totaling $3.26 million means additional features can be included in what began as a dredging and shoreline restoration project. These additions include an outdoor classroom, outdoor amphitheater and pedestrian bridge across the western part of the lake.
• Pursue a 10-year lease with Chick-fil-A for a store in the Memorial Union, south of the food court, with an optional five-year renewal. Chik fil-A would construct, maintain and manage the store, and pay ISU commissions on all sales.
• Begin three new degree programs this fall: B.S. in animal enterprise and innovation; online B.A. in psychology; online M.S. in nursing. Next May and in partnership with Mary Greeley Medical Center, begin a fourth degree program: accelerated B.S. in nursing, in which students enter with a bachelor's degree and 35 credits in subject-specific prerequisites.
• Terminate a secondary major, the B.S. in international business, due to low enrollment and because it's six credits short of a new (2025) ISU minimum requirement of 24 credits for secondary majors. An existing 15-credit minor gives students an option.
• Begin the first phase of a larger project to modernize the campus fire alarm system by upgrading some of its components for better reliability and continuity system-wide. With a project budget of $3.9 million, phase 1 will cover upgrades in 150 buildings.
• Sell 17 acres of university property on Ontario Street, south of the Applied Science Complex, to Ames-based Hunziker Development Group for $550,000. To address a need for entry-level homes in Ames, city officials had asked university leaders to identify university parcels within the city limits and in locations appropriate for residential development. The proceeds will be shared by the university and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, which had managed the property.