Discussion on the University's proposed tuition increase continued when students met with University officials Wednesday evening for a town hall meeting.

Students gathered to voice their concerns and ask questions about the 8 percent tuition increase that the University will propose to the Board of Trustees today.

Brian Cho, a junior in LAS who was one of 10 students to attend the meeting, said he was worried about out-of-state students being represented in the survey sent in a mass e-mail Wednesday that asked students for their opinions of a tuition increase.

"I am disappointed because we really don't have any voice here," he said.

Provost Richard Herman said 8 percent will be recommended for all students. The $10 increase in fees and a 3.7 percent increase in room and board rates will also be recommended for all students, said Patricia Askew, University vice chancellor for student affairs.

According to the recommendation, the $8,966 per semester out-of-state students will pay in tuition next year is about three times what Illinois residents will pay, Herman said.

Greg Spero, freshman in LAS, said he is worried his tuition will increase significantly while the classes behind his will have a guaranteed tuition, according to the new state law requiring public universities to freeze future students' tuition for four years.

Adam Blahnik, who helped with the Tuition Policy Advisory Committee, said students are continuing to pay for their education as the state has provided less — about $78 million less in the past two years.

"It's not necessarily our responsibility because the state is cutting back," he said. "But we need to make up that difference somehow."

Herman said while the national economy seems to be improving, he doesn't expect the state's budget to be much better next year.

"I wouldn't expect a large increase (in state funds) over the next four or five years," Herman said.

The $16 million the proposed 8 percent increase would generate will be allocated to reinstate the programs and services that had been lost as a result of budget cuts, Herman said.

Of the revenue, $2 million will help fund improving undergraduate instruction. Almost $4 million will go toward a salary increase for faculty, Herman said.

He said the University's salary program is about $21 million behind the median of peer institutions.

He said a salary program is one form of "catch-up" the University has to work at, including reinstating the Discovery program and increasing library hours.

But there is a question of where new money should go.

"Are we going to have the discipline to set aside money for catch-up?" Herman said.

The most recent budget was approved in June and the timing of it slowed down much of the financial aid processes, Askew said.

"That's not something any of us feels very good about," she said.