Students will likely find themselves handing over more money for the 2007-2008 school year after today’s Board of Trustees meeting, which is being held in Columbus.

David Creamer, senior vice president for administration, said there will be a 4.7 percent increase on room and board rates. He said the increase is slightly above the average, which has hovered around 4 percent for the last two or three years.

The increase is due to the recent minimum wage increase, as well as rising energy costs. The average room and board rate will be about $6,880, which is based on the rate for a double room and the university’s basic board plan.

But of the all the universities to announce a room and board increase, Kent State has the smallest percent increase. The next lowest is Miami University’s at 5.7 percent.

Despite the rising cost of room and board, Creamer said he still expects the cost of tuition to remain frozen in agreement with Gov. Ted Strickland’s proposed higher education compact that would offer a 5 percent increase in state support in exchange for a tuition freeze.

“For now, there’s nothing that suggests (the tuition increase) wouldn’t be zero,” Creamer said.

Students should also expect an increase in student parking permits. The price for stadium permits will rise from $75 to $100. The cost of C-Ice Arena passes will rise from $130 to $140, and on-campus S passes will rise from $150 to $160.

“Price wise and for what we make available to the students, we’re in the middle (compared to other universities),” Creamer said, adding Kent State is about the same price as universities such as Bowling Green, but more expensive than more urban ones such as the University of Akron and Cleveland State University.

“Historically, we are very much like some of the other institutions in that parking wasn’t always available to students.”

Every two years, the Board of Trustees holds a meeting in Columbus.

“It’s an opportunity for our Board of Trustees to interact with legislators,” President Lester Lefton said, adding most of the interaction will be informal.

He said there will also be a conference with all of the board members from Ohio’s 14 universities, the state’s legislature and the governor.

Some of the other items on the agenda for today’s Board of Trustees meeting are the naming of the Daily Kent Stater’s editor’s office in Franklin Hall, approving renovations for the University Library and the administration’s executive offices, approving capital improvements for Dix Stadium and approving the purchases of two properties for the East Liverpool Campus.

For a full agenda of the meeting, visit www.kent.edu/administration.

Contact administration reporter Tim Magaw [email protected].