(Des Moines) An Iowa Senate subcommittee unanimously passed a House-approved bill Thursday to explore possible tuition cost changes and new degree programs at state universities.
Titled the “College Affordability Act,” House File 440 would require the Iowa Board of Regents to complete a feasibility study on the potential of locking in a resident student’s tuition price in their first year, ensuring they won’t see increases in the next three years of their undergraduate study.
The bill would also require the board of regents to approve any tuition increases as April 30 of the previous fiscal year. State universities also would have to develop at least one three-year bachelor’s degree program and one work study program for students to work part time while attending school, paid for by their employer.
Iowa Board of Regents State Relations Officer Carolann Jensen said the board has already or will complete the directives set in the bill without it needing to be passed into law.
“The board supports the bill, but we don’t think it’s necessary,” Jensen said.
A previous version of the legislation included language that would have capped tuition increases at 3% and required universities to lock in a student’s tuition in their first year of study so it wouldn’t increase in later years, rather than having universities conduct a study on the topic. However, an amendment adopted during House debate took out these provisions.
Senate File 243, the companion to House File 440, still includes sections on capping and freezing tuition. It was recommended for passage by a subcommittee Feb. 19.
Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, said he would sign off on the bill, but added he’d like to see an amendment to allow an exception to the April 30 deadline to set tuition increases if state allocations to universities have not been determined by that time.
Quirmbach said he was happy to see the legislation back off from setting tuition caps and freezes, as setting tuition in a way that will ensure university budgets are balanced would become more complicated, and could result in front-loaded, higher prices.
Trying to set a tuition price for the next four years rather than just the next year would be difficult, Quirmbach said, with institutions not knowing projected enrollment, changing costs and markets and what state appropriations will look like in the future.
“I think that there are serious problems trying to achieve that,” Quirmbach said.
Sen. Doug Campbell, R-Mason City, said he thinks House File 440 is a great piece of legislation for Iowa.
“I like to see this coming forward for the students in the state of Iowa,” Campbell said.
