PIERRE - Tuition and required fees will increase by 7.9 percent next year for the average in-state student at South Dakota's public universities, the state Board of Regents decided Thursday.

Tuition and mandatory fees will increase by 5.9 percent for the average resident undergraduate student to help cover inflation and the other usual increases in operating costs, while the other 2 percent boost is needed to help pay off a bond issue that will be used to upgrade science and laboratory facilities on all the campuses, said Tad Perry, the regents' executive director.

The average in-state undergraduate student will pay $6,295 in tuition and mandatory fees next year, up $463 from this year. Rates differ for nonresident students, graduate students and those in a variety of special categories.

The new tuition and fee rates take effect for the academic year that begins this summer.

The portion of the increase related to general inflation keeps the basic tuition and fee increase within the Board of Regents' policy of holding annual increases within the range of 5-6 percent, Perry said.

The general tuition and fee increase exceeds last year's 2.6 percent rate of inflation mostly because South Dakota universities need to raise faculty salaries to remain competitive with schools in adjacent states, officials said.

According to the regents, South Dakota's tuition and fees continue to be lower than those charged by public universities in all surrounding states.

The tuition and fee charges will cover basic needs at the campuses, said Monte Kramer, the regents' director of finance and administration.

"I don't think there's a lot of frills in here. I don't think there's a lot of fluff in here," Kramer said.

Tony Venhuizen, the student member of the Board of Regents, said South Dakota's tuition and fees are higher than they would be otherwise because the Legislature has failed to approve enough funding for the public universities.

State funding for higher education has fallen short of inflation for many years, which means more of the cost has been shifted to tuition and fees paid by students, Venhuizen said.

The regents also approved changes in a variety of special fees, such as those charged to students in specific disciplines to cover the cost of equipment and operating costs. Students in some disciplines pay a special fee to enhance salaries for teachers.

Regents President Harvey Jewett said inflationary costs and salaries are the main reasons for general tuition and fee increases every year.

In addition, tuition and fees must be increased by an extra 2 percent to help pay off a $74.5 million bond issue approved by this year's Legislature for construction and modernization of 11 science and laboratory facilities on the campuses, Jewett said.

The state will pay off some of the bonds, but about $32 million of the bonds will have to be paid off with student fees. Jewett said the regents appreciate the students' support for upgrading the science and laboratory facilities.