Room and board rates may increase by 10 percent next year to keep up with rising costs if recommendations made by the Residence Hall Association are approved.

Although the Room and Board Advisory Committee recommended an 8-percent increase, RHA President Keith Kruchten said RHA members voted unanimously on Sunday night to increase the rate hike to 10 percent in order to better serve the students living in residence halls.

The increase would generate about $350,000 in revenue, Kruchten said.

This year’s proposed increase comes in order to continue with costs of maintaining facilities and because of the minimum wage increase, said Michael Coakley, executive director of Student Housing and Dining Services.

“It is unfortunate that we have to do such a thing to pay for things, but it is necessary at this time,” said Ruben Johnson, former president of Lincoln Hall.

Last year, housing rates were increased between 3 and 4 percent, Kruchten said, and that allowed the residence halls to keep up with utility costs. The initial proposed increase was 6 percent, but because of budget cuts in other areas of the university, it was reduced.

Of the 8 percent proposed by the advisory committee, 5 percent would go toward maintaining utility costs, and the other 3 percent would be for the minimum wage increase.

“To even have that rate, we would not be able to accomplish any of the capital renovations or equipment purchases that were scheduled as part of a 10-year plan,” Coakley said.

Kruchten said that with a 10-percent increase, they may be able to tap into some of the smaller projects in the 10-year plan, but major projects will need to be deferred.

Like the rest of the university, the residence halls have suffered because of budget cuts, and Kruchten said that in the past, SHDS hasn’t been able to make any increases to make things better.

“We have been doing a lot more with a lot less resources,” he said.

Sabrina Randecker, president of Stevenson North, said SHDS has done a great job of trying to cut down while keeping student jobs and continuing to fund programs.

Despite the increased revenue the residence halls may see next year, they will continue to cope with budget cuts.

Lincoln’s food service, the Annex, will be closed, and residence hall desks will shut down for eight hours each day. Kruchten said they plan to have a sergeant from University Police monitor the desk area when the desk is closed, and they also might hire student security to supervise the doors. Most likely, this will be the third shift, from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., Kruchten said. A schedule is not definite yet.

A 16.6-percent room and board increase would have been necessary to avoid cutting these services from the residence halls, Randecker said, but SHDS didn’t think that was feasible from a student’s perspective.

The proposal will be sent to NIU Vice Provost of Student Affairs Gary Gresholdt, who will send his proposition to NIU President John Peters. Peters will submit a final proposition to the Board of Trustees on March 18.