On Thursday, the Arizona Board of Regents is expected to set the final tuition and fees for the state’s three public universities.

Arizona State University is again proposing a 1.5 percent increase in tuition and fees for resident undergraduate students. Northern Arizona University and University of Arizona are proposing larger increases for new resident undergrads — 2.7 percent for NAU and 4 percent for UA.

The big difference is at NAU and UA, more than 90 percent of continuing students would not see an increase. Both schools highlight their programs to guarantee tuition rates for current students, so the increases there are falling on new students. Whereas the smaller increase proposed at ASU falls on students across the board. And some are not happy about any sort of hike, no matter how small.

Fallon Leyba, an ASU student, says "We believe that that hike is anti-education, and we’ve been campaigning for a tuition freeze for the past couple months, so like a cap on all tuition and fees."

She says she and some other students have tried to get a meeting with the president to discuss their concerns, but it hasn’t happened yet. So she organized a “study-in,” where she and about ten others are studying outside the office.

In its tuition proposal for the next school year, ASU pointed out it’s made a commitment to keep increases low, but Fallon says that isn’t enough.

"If there are three meals and I can’t afford any of them, it doesn’t matter if there is one that is, like, the cheapest. So, it doesn’t matter if there’s a cap that may lessen the amount that the tuition has increased if I can’t afford it still," she said.

She says administration officials she has been able to meet with have suggested financial aid for students who are struggling. And in fact the school points out that in some cases aid can completely cover the cost of tuition. But ASU senior Jill Robinson said she’s frustrated at the extra costs of fees.

"We’re paying fee after fee after fee, plus tuition. Like for example our athletic fee is $150. And you pay that even if you hardly ever go to games," Robinson said.

Robinson says she expects to graduate with no debt at all, but she feels it’s important to raise this issue for students who aren’t in the same boat. The group plans to call and email the school administration as well as the Arizona Board of Regents through Thursday, when the board makes its decision.

Tomorrow on The Show, we’ll speak with an economist about why higher education institutions have consistently increased tuition and fees.