DAVID HARDEN/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA President Pete Likins (right) speaks at a Town Hall meeting last week as Provost George Davis looks on. Likins will release his proposal for a tuition increase today.

Administrators have decided to request the biggest tuition increase in UA history.

Late last night President Pete Likins confirmed that he will request a $1,000 tuition increase for in-state undergraduates, a $1,250 increase for out-of-state undergraduates and in-state graduate students, and a $1,500 increase for out-of-state graduate students.

Likins' tuition proposal · In-state undergraduate tuition would increase by $1,000 · Out-of-state undergraduate tuition would increase by $1,250 · In-state graduate tuition would increase by $1,250; out-of-state by $1,500

The announcement will come out this morning, with few surprises, Likins said.

Likins has wanted UA's tuition to rise from the lowest in the country to the top of the bottom one-third percentile.

A $1,000 increase will immediately achieve Likins' goal.

Although the Arizona Board of Regents won't officially set tuition until its March 6 ÷ 7 meeting, many regents have already voiced support for a $1,000 increase, provided financial aid is also increased.

As part of Likins' tuition proposal, he said that at least 50 percent of revenue from a tuition increase will go toward financial aid.

With a projected $28 million increase in tuition revenue, Likins plans to put $14 million of that toward financial aid, but not all students will benefit.

"Specifically, all graduate (teaching assistants) and all resident undergraduates with Pell grants not met by cash will be spared any net increase in tuition payments," he said. "Others will be helped as well, but not entirely protected."

Financial aid has been a sticking point in recent days for Student Body President Doug Hartz, who said yesterday he is still concerned that a UA education might not be more accessible under the tuition and financial aid packages Likins will propose.

Hartz said he is not concerned about the set-aside amount, only whether accessibility is improved.

Hartz saw Likins' proposal last week, and in recent days the two have discussed Hartz's concerns about accessibility.

"I'm concerned about making it easier for students and particularly needy students to attend the institution than before the increase," Hartz said.

Hartz will meet later this week with Rick Kroc, who coordinates much of the UA's record-keeping, to discuss concerns over whether access would improve under Likins' proposals.

Student lobbyists will not release their tuition proposal until after that meeting, but Hartz has said they will not call for a so-called zero percent increase.

Student lobbyist Melanie Rainer went further last week, saying she would support a $1,000 increase as long as it includes

adequate provisions for increasing aid.

But she said she was unsure that Likins' proposal, which she saw last week, sufficiently ensures accessibility.

Likins' request comes just one year after he asked for an increase of $300 for in-state undergraduate tuition.

In a 6-5 vote, the regents decided to only raise tuition by $96 instead.

Last year, a divisive debate pitted university presidents calling for much larger increases against student lobbyists who wanted no increase.

Likins' request also comes at a time when Arizona's universities are realizing they must decrease their dependence on scarce funds from the state legislature.

Just last week Republican legislators proposed another 5 percent cut to university budgets.

As UA faces a budget crisis, student leaders have said they support a dramatic tuition increase now that budget cuts have forced class cancellations that are causing people to delay their graduation.

"We need it to keep our university's arms and legs from being amputated," said Associated Students of the University of Arizona Senator Adam Bronnenkant last week.