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LINCOLN, Neb.—Tuition at all University of Nebraska campuses will increase 6 percent this fall after the Board of Regents approved the increase Thursday.

That means resident undergraduate students at the system’s flagship Lincoln campus will pay $285 more next year if they take a full load of 30 credit hours.

“It’s not perfect,” said University President James B. Milliken. “It’s higher than I would like it to be. But it is a balance.”

Tuition at NU’s campuses has gone up at least 5 percent each school year since 1997-1998, with double-digit increases from 2000 through 2004.

For a resident undergraduate at UNL, each credit hour will cost $169.50, which is $9.50 higher than before.

At the University of Nebraska at Omaha, each credit hour will cost $154.75 for resident undergraduates, which is $8.75 higher than before.

A Nebraska resident who is an undergraduate at the University of Nebraska at Kearney will pay $137.25 per credit hour, which is $7.75 higher than before.

Tuition at the University of Nebraska Medical Center varies according to the program.

Compared to its peers, Regent Jim McClurg said, a Nebraska education is still “just a hell of a deal.”

There is a direct relationship between state appropriations for the university and tuition, university officials said. State funding is scheduled to rise 4 percent for 2007-08 and 4.1 percent for 2008-09, less than the university asked for.

Regents also approved the university’s nearly $1.7 billion budget for the 2008 fiscal year. It’s an increase of more than $100 million—or 6.3 percent—over the current year.

Without tuition increases, the university would be nearly $9.2 million dollars short, regents were told.

Those least able to pay tuition shouldn’t feel the effects of the increase, Milliken said. Because of the university’s Tuition Assistance Program, students eligible for federal Pell Grants also get university funding to cover their tuition completely, he said.

Regent Randy Ferlic was the only regent to vote against the increase, saying he wanted to send a message that the university needs to do more to keep costs down.

“I think we need a hard look at our systems as far as creating some efficiencies,” Ferlic said.

Regent Chuck Hassebrook said he voted for the increase because “I don’t have an alternative plan to balance the books.”

“Students believe in the value of their education, but even a 6 percent increase smarts,” said Jonathan Henning, a student regent from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Meanwhile, Milliken’s salary will increase by $13,791 on July 1, bringing the total to $307,227. It’s about a 4.7 percent increase, close to the 4.4 increase in salaries across campus.

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