Members of the Board of Regents Facilities and Finance Committee did not take a position on whether or not to raise tuition next year, despite a request from NIU Student Regent Nick Valadez Wednesday.

Valadez asked the committee to begin discussing the tuition issue now so a “message can be sent to Springfield before the budget comes down.

“I think it’s time for the board to address early on the rate of tuition,” Valadez said. “We are getting to the point where students can’t afford a Regency education.”

Regents’ chancellor Roderick Groves said the board will address the tuition issue at its April meeting.

“Let’s not throw in the towel yet—the legislature has not even convened. Let’s get the troops out and make the push (for a tax hike),” Groves said.

Regent Jerome Bender suggested to Valadez that student leaders get other students to vote. “The biggest contribution is to get students to vote and to get registration cards. Get them to vote for an election,” he said.

Groves agreed with Bender. “We want to see students waving their voter’s registration cards,” he said.

Valadez said, “This legislature has demonstrated that certain factors that compel them to act have not worked.” He said he will make a statement about the legislators to all board members today at the general meeting.

“At some point in time, this board is going to have to address the question when tuition has gone too high,” Valadez said.

NIU President John LaTourette said Tuesday a tuition hike might be “unavoidable” because of Gov. James Thompson’s budget recommendations calling for no new increases for higher education. Valadez said with a possible hike of 10 to 15 percent, NIU students will face a total of a 45 percent increase in tuition in less than a two-year period without an increase in the quality of service.

“The tuition issue is something that needs to be understood solely. There is absolutely nothing that students are getting in return for it (tuition increases),” he said.

Although committee members are concerned about the rising costs of tuition, they are not ready to take a position at this time. Regent Milton McClure said, “I am totally sympathetic with you and I suggest you work with the Chancellor’s office (of the Board of Regents) to prepare a solution for April.”

Valadez said it would be “reasonable” to talk with the Chancellor’s office to develop a detailed plan to address the tuition issue.