Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

March 12, 2004

Standard room-board package would increase $218

by Anne Krapfl
A full-time undergraduate student living in a residence hall room with one roommate and buying a full meal plan will pay a total of $616 more next year than this year, according to approved tuition rates and proposed room and board rates. That sum, a 5.7 percent increase over this year, includes a $398 tuition and fees increase (approved in November) and a $218 proposed increase in room and board.

The Board of Regents, State of Iowa, reviewed residence department rate proposals this month and will vote on them at its April 21 meeting.

As proposed, residence hall room rates would increase 4.0 to 4.3 percent next year, depending on the building and number of roommates, and board plans would increase 2.8 to 3.5 percent. The premium board plan offers 20 meals a week and an additional $200 in "dining dollars" for the year. The least expensive board plan provides seven meals a week and $600 dining dollars for the year, good at any ISU Dining location, including convenience stores and cafes. ISU Dining also has numerous block meal plans and dining dollar plans available to students, whether or not they live on campus.

ISU Dining is part of the residence department.

As proposed, Frederiksen Court apartment rates would increase 2.2 to 4.3 percent.

Lesser to no increases are proposed for university-owned family apartments. As proposed, rents in University Village would go up 2 percent and rates in Schilletter Village would remain the same as this year.

All of the room and rent increases, except University Village, include an annual $14 per student fee to cover the cost of increased Internet bandwidth, as approved by the student associations governing the residence neighborhoods.

The occupancy rate for the residence department last fall was 89.8 percent, and is projected to be 90.1 percent this fall and 96.4 percent in another four years, when more components of the department's master plan are in place. Lower student enrollments and lots of off-campus options in Ames are reasons sited for the less-than-full occupancy rates.

The residence department plans to remove Fisher-Nickell Hall, which houses 44 students, from its housing options at the end of spring semester. It also plans to temporarily close Barton Hall (98 beds), due to a drop in demand.