Leath defends $300 tuition increase request
Iowa State University has a “significant need” to add more faculty to accommodate enrollment growth, ISU President Steven Leath said today.
In a prepared statement defending ISU’s proposed $300 tuition increase, Leath said the increase “will help Iowa State recruit and retain faculty and improve services that directly support student success.”
“Over the past decade, we have experienced a 41 percent enrollment increase, which is testimony to the value of an Iowa State education,” he said. “However, with enrollment exceeding 36,000, we have a significant need to add faculty in order to maintain high quality and an appropriate student-to-faculty ratio.”
Leath said that even with the proposed increase, “Iowa State would continue to be the most affordable university among our group of peer research universities.” The university increased undergraduate resident tuition by $100 last spring after a 2½-year freeze.
Specifically, the additional tuition revenue for undergraduates would be used for:
- Recruitment and retention of faculty to improve the student-to-faculty ratio.
- Expansion of support services such as academic advisers and tutors.
- Increasing financial literacy and other services to help lower student debt.
- Increasing campus safety and accessibility services.
The Iowa Board of Regents, which will consider the request next week, also will consider small increases to the tuition changes they approved last fall for nonresident undergraduate students and graduate and professional students.
“While we are seeking this additional tuition revenue, we will continue to take steps to operate as efficiently as possible to hold down expenses,” Leath said.
Leath noted that in private fundraising, the five-year Moving Students Forward campaign to raise funds for student support has generated more than $180 million toward its $200 million goal.
Trending News
