More NIU students are graduating, but they are taking a longer time to do so, according to a Board of Regents report.

The Regents heard a report on graduation rates and time to complete degrees at its meeting Thursday at Illinois State University in Normal.

Regents staff member Ann Geraci said the report showed as the percentage of students graduating increased, so did the time it took them to complete their degree.

The report follows the progress of freshmen classes toward graduation between 1980 and 1987.

According to the report, 50 percent of 1980’s freshman class graduated in six years or less. By 1987, that number rose to 53 percent.

The report also shows a substantial difference between the graduation rates of males and females. Of 1987’s freshman class, 56 percent of the females graduated while only 50 percent of the males completed degrees.

The report also shows an increase in the number of years it takes NIU students to obtain an undergraduate degree. Of 1980’s freshman class, 51 percent graduated within four years. For 1987, that number declined to 42 percent.

NIU President John La Tourette said more information on why it takes students longer to graduate from NIU will be available next fall. He said a survey of 2,500 students that seeks to find out why NIU students take longer to graduate will be completed then.

He said some students take longer for economic reasons while others take longer because students decide to change their major. The report shows students who change their majors are more likely to take more than four years to graduate.

In other business, a draft report was distributed at the meeting which shows NIU might have more money to spend next year than the Illinois Board of Higher Education thought was necessary.

The report compares this year’s funding level with four different budget proposals. Budget proposals from the IBHE and Gov. Jim Edgar are both lower than what an amended Senate appropriations bill would provide NIU.

The IBHE’s budget recommendation for NIU next year amounted to $126.4 million. The amended legislation would provide NIU with $127.3 million.

If approved, the legislation would provide a 3.7 percent increase over this year’s budget level. Regents Vice Chancellor John Pembroke said, “I am confident that we will get these figures.”

The legislation includes the same increase in tax dollar support for NIU as Edgar recommended. He recommended a 4.5 percent increase in general revenue funding for NIU but did not explicitly mention tuition in his budget proposal.

The difference between Edgar’s recommendation and the legislative proposal is the Senate bill which includes the steep tuition increase that was approved by the Regents last month.

The tuition increase will have students taking 16 credit hours or more both semesters paying $428 more than they did this year. NIU and Regents officials estimated the increase could bring in more than $2 million more than proposed under a more moderate tuition increase plan.

Of the tuition money taken in, 25 percent of it must go to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. ISAC provides financial assistance to students demonstrating need. The report states NIU will have to pay $800,000 to ISAC.