MSU will recommend a 3.9 percent tuition increase at the Board of Regents meeting Thursday.

President Dr. Jesse Rogers said half of the $1.26 million that will be raised from the tuition hike will be given to faculty and staff members in the form of pay increases.

“We must give our faculty and staff some kind of increase in pay,” he said.

The last time faculty and staff members were given raises was 18 months ago, he said. This raise will be two percent of an employee’s salary, or $500, whichever is more.

“I want to keep our faculty here,” he said. “It really is only fair that we try to do what we can for them. I wish I could do more.”

Rogers said the university can’t keep recommending tuition increases of five percent, which it has in the past. This recommendation is notable, Rogers said, because it’s the shallowest increase at MSU since the state deregulated tuition in 2003.

“We can’t just keep compounding a five percent tuition increase every year,” he said.

The university is, however, in a serious money crunch. Whereas it received 80 percent of its funding from the state 20 years ago, only 20 percent of revenue now comes from Austin.

And he doesn’t see any reason that trend is likely to change.

“I don’t believe states are going to walk back in and say, ‘We’re going to increase your funding. I don’t think the money’s there. But because of lack of state funding, and for various reasons, we’re passing the cost on to you, your parents, grants and scholarships.”

Rogers doesn’t agree with passing on the cost of education to students and parents.

“I think it’s bad policy. I understand why it’s happened, but it’s poor policy.”

Administration will also recommend an increase in various fees at the meeting, Rogers said.

Here are the proposed changes: the Three-Peat fee will move from $100 to $150; Excessive Semester Credit Hours fee will be assessed at $150 per credit hour; the Distance Education fee will move from $32 to $50 per credit hour; the International Student fee will move from $75 to $90 per credit hour; Non-resident tuition fee will move from $30 to $65 per credit hour.

The increase in fees should give MSU $500,000 in additional revenue.

Also, the university will ask to reduce the technology fee by $3 and add it to tuition.

“To you it’s invisible. To us, it puts money in the right place.”

Part of the money raised from fee increases will be used for a new telephone switch and to get new “portal technology.” It will also be used to contribute to the faculty/staff raises.

Proposed fee increases:

Three-Peat: $100 to $150 PCH

Excessive Semester Credit Hours: assessed at $150

Distance Education: $32 to $50 PCH

International Student: $75 to $90 PCH

Non-resident Tuition: $30 to $65 PCH

Remote student teaching: assessed at $500 PCH