Ball State University students' room and board costs for the 2006-07 year will increase 5 percent, or $328. However, this rise is the lowest in the past eight years.
Next year, students will pay $6,898 for a double room and meal plan compared to $6,570 this year.
The university estimates a 4.4 percent rise in next year's operating costs for housing and dining services, university officials said.
"We have to anticipate what some of the costs are going to be," Alan Hargrave, director of Housing and Residence Life, said.
One of the main reasons for the increase is more expensive food costs and the surcharges that food companies are using to cover the more expensive fuel costs that they are experiencing, Hargrave said.
"The increase in petroleum also causes it to be more expensive to actually produce the food and things of that nature," Hargrave said.
Ann Talley, director of Dining Service, said the department's operating costs were rising at an average rate each year.
"We make every effort to keep our costs at the very lowest possible amount so that students can maximize their money," Talley said.
Hargrave said salary increases and health care costs also contributed to the rise.
"We want to keep it as low as we possibly can," he said. "We are anticipating health care costs are not going to go up as high as they have in the past."
Another contributing factor is the university beginning payments on the building of the new East Residence Hall, Hargrave said.
"It's not an insubstantial amount of money," he said. "When you are borrowing $30 million and paying interest on it ever year, that's quite a bit to pay."
University officials said Ball State was typically less expensive in terms of room and board than other schools such as Purdue University, Indiana University and other MAC schools.
"We certainly compare very favorably with other schools," Talley said, "and I think, in fact, for what the students receive in terms of quality and quantity, in many ways, we are superior."
Hargrave said he thought living on campus was also less expensive for most students than living off campus.
Especially with the rising costs of heating and utilities, which is included in room and board costs, he said.
"Each year we have students that come back because they say it is less expensive," Hargrave said.
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