The Board of Trustees will be voting on a 2 percent increase to university housing rates and grant-in-aid fees during its meeting Tuesday.

If approved, both increases would start in the next fall semester.

Paul McCann, the university treasurer and interim vice president for business affairs, said the way that the board determines what the rate should be is by looking at the consumer price index each year.

“We look at that in relation to where we stand with other universities,” McCann said. “Then we make a decision of whether we need to increase the rates.”

McCann also said housing costs are driven by food costs as well as labor costs.

“Every year people want pay increases; every year food costs go up, supplies go up, so we do have to look at those and make adjustments,” McCann said.

McCann said despite Eastern’s current enrollment troubles, the proposed increase has nothing to do with enrollment.

Grant-in-aid awards are much like scholarships that are given back to students and are used to help cover costs of student housing.

The grant-in-aid fee, along with the housing rates, would receive a 2 percent increase. The fee would increase $0.30 to $15.45.

“When we increase housing rates, we also have to increase the grants-in-aid,” McCann said.

McCann said typically student athletes are the ones who receive grant-in-aid money.

“Traditionally, it’s always gone up by the same percentage that the housing did,” McCann said.

The board will also be looking at the naming of university property. This means that when someone makes a donation to the school, the university will honor their donations by naming either a room or a building after them.

McCann said that while he was unsure what exactly the board will discuss during the meeting, he does know that there is a room on campus that received a donation and that most likely the room will be named after the donator.

The board will also be looking into honorary degrees. These are special degrees that are given to individuals that the university recognizes from their contribution to the school and society in general.

“They could be a great politician, they could be somebody that has really succeeded in business after they graduated from Eastern,” McCann said. “It’s a way of acknowledging superior performance usually outside the university.”

The board will meet at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Luis Martinez can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].