Students might still have to vote on an Illinois Student Association referendum next week despite efforts from SA officials to extend the referendum date.

Since the referendum date was set Monday for Nov. 12, SA President Rob McCormack has been trying to extend the date to Nov. 28 to give students time to collect information about the ISA.

The ISA is a student lobbying group that tries to influence Illinois government to support and vote for student issues, such as keeping tuition low.

The requested extension, however, is beyond the Nov. 15 deadline set by NIU, said University Programming and Activities Director Michelle Emmett.

The change will need approval from President John La Tourette before the extension is definite, Emmett said.

“I would hope there is not a problem,” she said.

Tom Ellett, NIU’s field representative for the ISA, said the extra time would be needed to tell students about the organization through the media, posters and flyers. He also said the SA office would be open for any students wanting information.

“About the best we can do is to have the student body come into the office,” Ellett said.

SA Election Commissioner Alfred Tatum set the original date at Nov. 12, but he could not be reached to comment about the possible extension.

Each student pays $1 of the $22,000 given to the ISA every year. ISA Director David Starrett said ISA lobbying has returned the investment with $300 in tuition savings for each student.

However, some SA advisers questioned organization’s claim to responsibility for tuition freezes.

“It is difficult to assess what the ISA has accomplished,” Smith said in an interview earlier this year.

SA advisers also were concerned that they were not consulted when the ISA picked Brian Hopkins from Sangamon State University in Springfield to represent the Board of Regents in a tuition study committee.