The Board of Trustees approved a 3.6 percent tuition increase for all students except out-of-state undergraduates who would be subject to a 1.7 percent increase in tuition, as well as a $72.20 increase in fees for all students.

But before this decision goes to the Board of Governors for approval, the tuition and fee committees are already looking for ways to improve the process.

Jay Dawkins, student body president and junior in engineering, said the Trustees thought the process went well this year, and the committees are planning minor changes for next year.

“Everybody was pleased with the way it went, instead of administrators arguing for a 6.5 percent increase and the students arguing for 0,” Dawkins, who sits on the Trustees and co-chaired the Tuition Advisory Commiteee, said. “And on the fee side, the fee referenda was more successful.”

Student Senate President Greg Doucette, agreed.

“I’m glad the Board of Trustees agree with the chancellor, and I’m glad the chancellor agreed with the students,” Doucette said.

But that doesn’t mean the system is perfect.

This year’s fee presentations were videotaped and available to students to watch on YouTube before voting the Student Senate Fee Referendum, which allowed students to vote for which fee increases they wanted the Fee Review Committee to approve.

“The main thing is getting the videos done earlier as well as getting the online fee referenda done through Senate earlier, so Student Government can start advertising earlier,” Doucette said.

Doucette and Dawkins both said they also want a more formalized process for fees next year, though Doucette said he is not sure exactly how to do that yet.

Dawkins said making it more formalized would make the process clearer for everyone involved.

“We’re looking at ways to make it more geared toward how fee entities should use the appropriated money,” Dawkins said. “This fee process last year wasn’t very formalized.”

Doucette said while the committee wants to make sure fee requesting entities follow guidelines for how they’re going to spend the money they are awarded, he also wants to ensure flexibility of moving funds. He said the economy is a big factor in that line of thinking  because, as an example, when campus entities asked for money at the beginning of the process, gas prices were as $4 per gallon and are now down to almost $1.80.

“We want to make sure they have flexibility, but that the stuff they’re asking for gets funded the way it’s supposed to be,” he said.

However, as reasonable as the increases compared to inflation may seem for some, student concerns about money remain the same.

Tojan Rahhal, a freshman in engineering, said tuition is already high enough.

“Students are already having problems paying.” Rahhal said.

But with the economy going the way it is, Rahhal said she understands the need to increase prices.

Still, she said, with the University budget cuts, the University should be picky about what it agrees to increase fees for.

And for Rahhal, transportation and library funds should be at the top of the list.

“Then again, everything is important to somebody,” Rahhal said.