ALYSON E. GROVE/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA President Peter Likins, seen here at a campus Town Hall earlier this week, proposed yesterday to raise tuition by 9.7 percent next year for in-state students and 12 percent for out-of-state students.

Under plan, out-of-state students tuition would increase by $1,000

UA President Peter Likins proposed yesterday to raise next year's in-state tuition by $300 and out-of-state tuition by $1,000.

With the increase, Arizona resident students would pay $2,790 and out-of-state students would pay $11,356 per year in tuition and fees.

The recommended hikes, which are 12 percent for in-state and 9.7 percent for out-of-state, will be one of the proposals the Arizona Board of Regents will consider when it sets tuition at its April 25-26 meeting at Northern Arizona University.

In his proposal, Likins also asked that the University of Arizona be permitted to offer tuition waivers of $100 per semester to all full-time students receiving Pell grants.

Board of Regents President Kay McKay said she strongly supports Likins' proposal and that he is dealing with the tuition the only way possible.

But Associated Students of the University of Arizona President Ray Quintero said he is disappointed with the proposed increase in tuition.

"The proposed tuition is way too high, considering the condition the state is in," Quintero said.

"This is a lot to ask students for. More and more students are graduating in debt, and some might not be able to return to the UA because of this."

The Arizona Students' Association, a student lobbyist group that traditionally opposes tuition hikes, will release its counter-proposal to Likins' plan on Monday.

Currently, Arizona's resident tuition and fees, which total $2,490, are the 49th lowest out of the 50 states. This increase will at the most move the state to number 47, said Janet Bingham, UA vice president of advancement.

The proposed tuition increase will be used to serve students better and put more money into the university system, Bingham said.

Tuition only accounts for about 12 percent of the university's all-funds budget.

"The proposal is not designed to make up for the budget shortfall," Bingham said.

"I believe the president would have made the recommendation despite the budget situation."

Although Bingham said the administration does not think the tuition increase will have any impact on the number of students who will come to UA, Quintero disagreed.

"This could potentially hurt the accessibility rate for in-state students," Quintero said. "More students may go to a community college and then never make it to a university at all."

Tuition covers only about 20 percent of the total cost of a student's education, said Randy Richardson, UA vice president for Undergraduate Education. The important part about Likins' proposal is that it protects the students most at risk with financial aid help, he said.

In Likins' proposal, he pointed to a change in the federal Pell Grant system that will give more money to the 5,000 UA students receiving grants. Pell Grants are awarded based on need.

Next year, the maximum grant will increase $250, to a total of $4,300.

Tuition is likely to keep going up in the future, Bingham said.

Administrators and regents will be available to hear students' reactions to proposed tuition increases at a hearing from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on April 16.

Students who wish to participate in the teleconference meeting should go to Room 211 of the Harvill building or Room 127 of the Douglass building.