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A new statewide task force is charged with making the process used to set university tuition rates less contentious and more predictable.

The Arizona Board of Regents Friday voted to establish the task force, which came directly out of tuition proposals student government leaders brought to the board last semester.

The main goal of the task force is to make stronger connections between tuition and fee levels, the overall financial needs of the universities, financial aid procedures and the development of budget requests delivered to the governor and the Legislature.

"The issue permeates much of what we are called to think about as a board: tuition setting, financial aid policies and state funding requests," said Regent Ernest Calderón, who will chair the task force. "We'd like to explore the possibility of a better alignment of these decisions."

Ultimately, the task force will work to maximize the use of financial resources in the university system while minimizing the financial barriers to students, Calderón said.

The first meeting is tentatively schedule for Arizona's Statehood Day, Feb. 14.

Joining Calderón on the task force are Regents Fred Boice and Dennis DeConcini, Student Regents Mary Venezia and David Martinez III, the three university presidents and student representatives from each of the three universities.

Tuition rates are set in December for the following academic year. The university presidents make recommendations to the regents, as do student government leaders, and one two-hour statewide hearing is conducted via teleconference before the board votes to set tuition and fees.

The rates for next year were set at the presidents' recommended levels as regents, faced with the reality of a state budget deficit that could lead to financial cuts at the universities, turned down a unified request from students to freeze tuition.

Tuition and mandatory fees for resident undergraduates at the University of Arizona will be $5,531.

The task force will follow several principles in developing recommendations for the board by June: maintaining accessibility of a college education for Arizona residents, providing sufficient financial aid to ensure college is affordable for all students, delivering adequate financial resources to the universities and, above all, making the process transparent and predictable.

"The aspirational goal is to find a process based on all of these objectives and principles that will end the annual arbitration between students and administrations," said Regent Gary Stuart. "That is a hurtful process in many ways and it can harm the zeal for education."

Martinez, a UA senior education major, said the prospect of fixed tuition increases will be considered. Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University adopted such systems for new students next year, but the UA did not.

"Each university has different needs, different desires and different missions," he said. "It may not be that one model works for all the universities, but the three presidents work well together to do what's best for the state as a whole."

Tommy Bruce, the UA's student body president, said he expects the task force to bring all stakeholders a better understanding of the role of tuition in funding the universities and how increases impact students and their families.

"It will all depend on how the group actually works together," he said. "I don't think we'll come out with one solid plan we all agree on, but getting the different perspectives together earlier in the process will be tremendously helpful."