A bill to curb tuition increases, freeze it for undergraduate students and create new degree programs passed out of subcommittee Thursday in the Iowa House with possible amendments in the future.

House Study Bill 51 would cap tuition increases for state universities at 3% and ensure that resident undergraduate student tuition will not increase year-over-year for their undergraduate education, with some limitations.

Universities would also be required to develop at least one three-year baccalaureate degree and a “work plus” program in which students could study while working part-time for an eligible employer who would pay their tuition.

Andy Conlin, representing the Foundation for Government Accountability, said during public comment the work plus program portion bill is modeled after a program in Ohio that has seen positive results in giving students a chance to learn and work with support behind them.

“We think it’s good for employers and creates a pipeline of potential future workers, and we think it’s good for the students, because they get practical, real life experience,” Conlin said.

Carolann Jensen, a state relations officer with the board of regents, said the board would like more time to explore how three-year degree programs could fit into existing offerings, adding that more and more students are graduating in a shorter amount of time with the ability to complete college credits in high school. She also expressed concern about employers potentially paying tuition instead of paying their student employees through the work plus program.

Jensen also raised concern about a flat cap of 3% for tuition increases. She said the board is willing to have further conversations about possibly creating a formula to factor in inflation and other changing costs when determining how tuition should change.

“A static 3% in statute does not accommodate any changes in the economy or disasters or all the things that affect these institutions,” Jensen said.

Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, chaired the subcommittee alongside members Rep. Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville, and Rep. John Wills, R-Spirit Lake.

Jacoby questioned why legislation to create work plus programs needs to exist when many Iowa employers already have existing partnerships with universities for paid internships and other programs. He also said lawmakers should look at pre-college programs to help students finish their degree faster, rather than trying to fit all the instruction they need to come out of college prepared into three years.

When it came to the tuition cap, Jacoby said state allocations need to increase to help offset the possibility of less revenue to go into university budgets.

“If we’re asking the university to maintain the budget, then it should be our responsibility to keep at least a 3 percent increase every year directly to the regents,” Jacoby said.

Wills said this bill would put more tools in students’ pockets to make their education work best for them in terms of affordability and time. Collins agreed, and said if Iowa’s public universities would start working on work plus programs on their own, the Legislature wouldn’t need to mandate it.

With work plus programs and shorter degree requirements, Collins said students could finish their education and start their career more quickly.

“We want to get kids directly into the workforce as quickly as possible, and if we can give them the tools they need to succeed in the workplace earlier, let’s go ahead and take advantage of that,” Collins said.