Undergraduate students at ASU's Tempe campus expressed disapproval of the 8.5 percent tuition increase proposed by the administration at a tuition forum in the Memorial Union Monday.
The forum -- hosted by the Arizona Board of Regents -- was telecast to the other ASU campuses, UA, NAU and their respective branch campuses. About 50 people gathered at the Memorial Union to participate in the forum.
ASU President Michael Crow said the 8.5 percent increase at the Tempe campus is "simple and straightforward."
Tuition at the other ASU campuses will increase 3.5 percent -- the rate of inflation -- because the Polytechnic and West campuses will be gaining more revenue due to increased enrollment, Crow said.
But growth will decrease at the Tempe campus, he said.
"[The other campuses] haven't suffered the hits the Tempe campus has had," he added, referring mainly to buildings in need of renovations.
Political science sophomore Alex Pasco said he would support a tuition increase less than the proposed 8.5 percent. With additional program fees and possible meal plan fees that the Regents will vote on at their next meeting, the price of attendance could be even greater, he said.
"With additional fees, there is a larger picture to look at when setting tuition," he said.
Political science freshman Chris Gustafson said he knows Crow has good intentions, but that the increase would not reduce class sizes by providing additional instructors. The increase would just put more pressure on students, he said.
"Students are hurting financially," Gustafson added. "They don't mind when it's hard. They just need it to not be impossible."
Justice studies senior Tim States said he received a scholarship to attend ASU. Otherwise, he said he might not have gone to college.
The rising cost of tuition would affect students if they decided to go into a low-paying career, like teaching or social work, because of the amount of debt accrued, States said.
"Maybe more students are coming to school because there's more pressure to get a college degree," States said. "Debt is a serious issue."
Jon Confer, academic-affairs director for Undergraduate Student Government, said that while tuition is the largest part of college attendance, textbook prices also contribute to debt.
Many students pay up to $900 a year for textbooks, Confer said.
"That's an outrageous amount," he said. "And unlike tuition, this is not money that is recycled into the educational institution."
Confer asked the Regents to consider this additional cost when setting tuition.
Several students also spoke in favor of the proposed fee for the Barrett Honors College.
BHC senator Cledwyn Jones said ABOR should approve the honors-college fee because it has received full student support.
"It's an example of how student fees should be decided on campus," he said. "The sheer degree of student involvement in this endeavor was incredible."
ABOR will vote on these issues -- including the all-inclusive meal plan, tuition and the BHC fee -- at their meeting at UA March 9 and 10.
USG President Corinne Widmer said that no matter what happens with the issues at the ABOR meeting, it was good that ASU students came to testify.
"Most students who spoke were undergraduates at ASU," Widmer said. "The Regents saw that."
Reach the reporter at tara.brite@asu.edu.