On Tuesday, UW system regents determined how much more students will pay in tuition this coming year.

UW Madison students can expect to pay about $330 more in tuition.

The regents met to approve an annual operating budget. UW System President Kevin Reilly recommended a 5.5% tuition increase for the state's four-year campuses. There was no increase recommended for the state's two-year colleges.

Regents passed the budget by a vote of 14 to three.

Professors say a tuition increase is necessary to stay competitive with other schools while students told regents they cannot afford to pay more.

"Students are being stretched thinner and thinner ... when will Wisconsin realize that students need a break? That we need a well-rounded education that doesn't challenge our quality of life," Jeff Allen, a student at UW La Crosse, says.

"These would be the lowest increases in years... the lowest dollar increases in tuition in five years... the lowest percent increases in seven years," Reilly says.

Reilly says tuition increased more than $700 at Illinois, more than $750 at Michigan.

This increase affects at least the first semester. The regents could re-visit the issue after the state budget is determined.