The Illinois Board of Higher Education votes Tuesday on budget recommendations set to increase Eastern’s funding by 5.4 percent for the next fiscal year.

The report going before IBHE estimates that the university’s income funding, which is based on tuition, will rise 10.9 percent, while general funding, which is provided by the state, will increase 2.8 percent.

The board determined the increase in income funding by factoring in Eastern’s switch to per-credit-hour tuition with interim President Lou Hencken’s goal to raise next year’s fall enrollment by at least 250 students.

Beginning next year, students will pay tuition by the credit hour; freshmen, sophomores, juniors and transfer students are currently doing so.

The increase in state’s general funding is directed toward recruiting and retaining faculty and operation and maintenance of the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

The IBHE’s recommendations would raise general funding between 2.5 to 3 percent at Illinois’ 11 other state-funded universities

The board will also vote on recommended budgets for campus projects like the Doudna Fine Arts Center renovation and expansion, new windows for the Student Services Building and the South Quad’s chilled water loop.

The board did not recommend any funds to begin planning for a new physical science building or a renovation of utilities infrastructure.

The recommended funding for the arts center, the state’s No. 5 priority in the capital improvement category, and the chilled water loop met the requests the university made when the Board of Trustees submitted their budget June 11, Jeff Cooley, vice president for business affairs, said.

In terms of percentage, this year’s increase is smaller than last year’s, but the university is still happy with the budget, Cooley said. At this time last year, the IBHE recommended Eastern receive a 5.9 percent increase for the 2002 fiscal year budget, under which the university is currently operating.

“Considering the state of economy and how we fared compared with other (Illinois) universities, we’re very pleased,” Cooley said of the recommendations.

The BOT submitted a request for a $13,315,300 increase and the board recommended $4,437,900. Last fiscal year, Eastern received a $4,493,200 jump in funds.

Cooley said it is too early to speculate on how much the governor and the state legislature will change the IBHE’s recommendations, if it all. In March or April, the legislators should have a better idea of where the economy is headed. The IBHE’s recommendations will be submitted first to the governor and he will then forward his recommendations to the legislature.

Last year, the General Assembly increased Eastern’s general funds by 7.2 percent and set the university’s income increase at 3.2 percent for an average increase of 5.9 percent.