The changes would raise at least $22 million during the next academic year, and officials told the Kansas Board of Regents that their universities need the new dollars to provide adequate pay raises and sustain existing programs. The board, which oversees the state's higher education system, plans to vote on the proposals next month.

The largest percentage increases would be in the tuition charged to some incoming freshmen at the University of Kansas and to some juniors and seniors at Kansas State University. But some students at both institutions would see no increase in what they pay.

University of Kansas officials asked the regents to continue a program under which incoming freshmen are guaranteed the same tuition for four years. Kansas State proposed, for the first time, charging juniors and seniors more than it charges freshmen and sophomores.

The board wasn't entirely pleased with the proposals. The regents strongly suggested in February that the universities seek increases of 6 percent or less, and a few of the changes suggested went beyond that mark.

"For six years now, we have had huge tuition increases," former Lt. Gov. Gary Sherrer, a regent from Overland Park, said during a break. "In this economy, my personal belief is that you do not want to start shutting the doors of your universities based on ability to pay."

Some of the proposals remained fluid. Officials at four universities -- Emporia State, Fort Hays State, Kansas State and Wichita State -- said they would have to revise their plans to include larger increases. They blamed the Legislature's decision to appropriate $10 million less for their operating budgets than Gov. Kathleen Sebelius had proposed.

Several regents, including Sherrer, expressed frustration with the universities' criticism of legislators.

Regent Donna Shank, of Liberal, suggested that universities consider trimming their spending.

"We are in a tough economy right now," she said. "Everyone is having to cut back right now. Do we put all that burden on the backs of the students?"

Adam McGonigle, student body president at the University of Kansas, said it's important to keep tuition under control. But he acknowledged that students expect to see modest increases.

"The cost of living goes up every year," he said. "The cost of an education goes up as well."

The largest increases at the University of Kansas are driven by its "compact" program, in which the university sets a single tuition rate for incoming freshmen for four years. The program started last year, and university officials pitched it as protection for families against large tuition increases.

Calculating the rate each year is complicated because the university attempts to cover some potential increases in its costs.

The rate charged to incoming freshmen who participate in the fall will be 8.6 percent or 8.7 percent higher than the rate for those who enrolled last year. But both groups -- about 30 percent of all University of Kansas students -- wouldn't see any increase in 2009-10.

For other University of Kansas students, tuition will increase 6 percent.

"There is inevitably a crystal ball element to this," said Provost Richard Lariviere.

At Wichita State, tuition would increase 5.9 percent for students from Kansas but only 5 percent for non-Kansans so that it would remain competitive with out-of-state schools, its officials said. Fort Hays State proposed tuition increases of 5.5 percent.

Tuition at Pittsburg State would increase by up to 5.8 percent. Officials at Emporia State didn't have final figures, but students there are likely to see increases of between 4.9 percent and 6 percent.

Kansas State proposed no increase for freshmen and sophomores on its Salina campus, which emphasizes technology. For other students, the increase would range from 1.9 percent to 7.4 percent.

The biggest jump would be in the tuition charged to juniors and seniors from outside Kansas attending classes on its Manhattan campus.

If the regents accept Kansas State's proposal, it would be the only state university to charge different rates to freshmen and sophomores than to juniors and seniors. But Tom Rawson, vice president of administration and finance, noted that lower-level classes tend to be larger and emphasize lectures over lab work.

"There really are some differences in cost," he said.

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On the Net:

Board of Regents: http://www.kansasregents.org/