Board of Regents Chancellor Roderick Groves and NIU President John LaTourette said at Wednesday’s Regents meeting a tuition increase for Regency schools is unlikely for the 1989-90 academic year.

LaTourette said, “The Board is taking the position that as long as the governor’s budget recommendation is passed by the legislature, there will be no tuition increase.

“Of course, what is even more hopeful is that the Democrats have come up with a plan where some additional money beyond what the governor has recommended. So I think everyone is hopeful there will not be any further need to have a tuition increase next year,” he said.

LaTourette said all budget recommendations hinge upon no change in tuition levels, and the Regents might make a “passing reference” at today’s meeting.

Groves said he does not anticipate a tuition increase if the state allocates funds according to Gov. James Thompson’s recommendations. The Illinois Student Association will investigate plans used in states including Ohio and Pennsylvania, where the state governments have appropriated funds to maintain current tuition levels.

About 10 NIU students walked into Wednesday’s meeting in the Illinois Room of the Holmes Student Center. Student Association Treasurer Diana Turowski, SA Senate Speaker Phill Buoscio and Black Student Union President Tracy Deis passed out shirts and tea bags to symbolize their protest against tuition hikes. Most of the students left before the Regents began discussing tuition.

Groves said three state legislative bills were not approved by the House Higher Education Committee of the Illinois General Assembly.

A bill involving a tuition freeze was proposed by Rep. John Countryman, R-DeKalb. Rep. James Keane, D-Chicago, proposed a bill that would limit tuition to the inflation rate similar to a price index. A third bill suggests the funding of a scholarship program on an entitlement basis requiring an additional $100 million in financial aid taken from university budgets.

Groves said, “We have resisted that legislation (the scholarship bill) and it did not make it out of … the House Higher Education Committee. All three were defeated.

“We took action in September and we agreed for it (tuition) to be reviewed later in the year,” he said.

The Regents, NIU’s governing board, conclude their meetings Thursday at NIU. The Regents also govern Illinois State University in Normal and Sangamon State University in Springfield.