The Northern Kentucky University Board of Regents unanimously approved the 9.25 percent tuition hike at their March 14 session. The increase will translate to $252 more a semester for instate tuition, or $24 more per credit hour.

While the new rate is expected to raise $5.2 million in revenue for the 2007-08 school year, the tuition increase is below the maximum cap of 9.5 percent set forth by the Council for Postsecondary Education.

“The administration and President Votruba try to strike a balance between the burden on students and offering a quality education that students have come to expect,” said Chris Cole, NKU director of communications.

The presidential recommendation report specifies that money garnered from the tuition increase will be used “to cover increases in fixed costs, compensation increases, and critical investments needed to advance the university’s strategic priorities.”

While the increase is the lowest since 2000, Cole said the university still functions efficiently within the new budget. “The university is sort of used to operating at an under-funded level. We will be able to continue to provide the type of education that students expect – small classes, good faculty that actually interact with students – for another year.”