By Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register
Iowa’s public universities would be required to freeze tuition at current levels for five years under a bill passed by House lawmakers.
The House voted 86-5 to pass House File 2242, which freezes tuition at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa through July 1, 2031.
The bill now goes to the Iowa Senate for consideration.
Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, said the House is “drawing a line in the sand” with the freeze.
“We have to find other ways to cut expenditures to be more efficient,” he said. “It’s not just a matter of the state sends them more money in a blank check.”
Rep. Adam Zabner, D-Iowa City, who is 26, said Iowa’s funding for the three regents universities is about the same as it was when he was born.
At that time, he said two-thirds of the funding for the public universities came from the state and one-third from tuition. But those percentages have flipped.
“This is a good first step,” he said. “It is important to freeze tuition, but it has to be backed up with funding that ensures Iowa students have access to higher education, to world class regents universities and that employers and people in the state of Iowa have access to the skills and the people we need to move our state forward.”
An analysis of the bill by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency found that the tuition freeze would reduce revenue at the University of Iowa by $4.6 million in the first year, increasing to $25 million in the fifth year of the freeze.
Iowa State would lose $4.8 million in revenue in the first year of a freeze, increasing to $27.9 million in 2031.
And the University of Northern Iowa would lose $1.6 million in revenue in the first year, rising to $11.5 million by 2031.
Collins said lawmakers would discuss whether to make up that money as they draft the state budget.
“Those are conversations we’ll obviously have during the appropriations process,” he said. “But I think we’re at a point when it comes to higher education that we can’t just keep giving them more money and hoping and praying that they don’t raise tuition.”
Stay in the know with stories that matter — visit HolaAmericaNews.com for the latest news, culture, and community updates!
Facebook Comments