By
Katie Clark
Arizona Daily Wildcat
ASA proposes smaller tuition hike
UA students made their feelings clear about keeping next year's tuition increase as low as possible when they gathered for a televised hearing yesterday with representatives from the three state universities and the Arizona Board of Regents.
The majority of students agreed with the increase proposed by the Arizona Students Association - $114 for in-state students and $486 for out-of-state students - as opposed to University of Arizona President Peter Likins' recommendation of $200 for in-state and $500 for out of state.
"The best form of financial aid is low tuition," said Ben Graff, president of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona.
ASA's list of priorities for the $14.46 million raised by their proposed increase puts academic advising at the top, an opinion many students in attendance shared.
Jered Mansell, a political science junior and ASUA senator-elect, said he deals with students all the time that have problems with their advising.
"I don't hear about debt service," he said, referring to Likins' recommendation to set aside money to pay for debts the university has incurred while constructing academic buildings on campus.
"The university isn't about students," he continued.
Mansell also agreed with ASA's recommendation, saying that the smallest increase would be the best for students.
"If you increase it more that five percent, you will break some students," he said.
Rebecca Broky, an ASUA senator and architecture senior, also reminded the regents about the mandate in the Arizona Constitution that says tuition should stay as close to free as possible, something she said she believes would be better accomplished if the regents adopted ASA's recommendation.
"It's a state commitment," she said.
Tricia Williams, another ASUA senator, said she has talked to students around campus who feel that advising is currently problematic, and that tuition should stay as low as possible.
"Students shouldn't have to pay any more than they have to," she said.
Regent Don Ulrich said at the end of the meeting that the regents have not made up their mind about the proposed increases and that there will most likely be many different opinions at the ABOR meeting on April 11.
"You will see a diversity of opinions," he said.
Ulrich also said that because of the hearing, the regents will not be listening to any opinions about tuition increases during the open forum at the meeting.
