Tuition increases at Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities might be held to 4 percent in 2009-10 if the schools can secure a 5.7 percent appropriation increase in next year's state budget.

Thats's no small "if," given an economy so sour the state has plans to pull back money it already appropriated this year for operations, including those of public universities.

Yesterday, during the same meeting at which the appropriation request was approved, the State System of Higher Education's board of governors agreed to a request from Gov. Ed Rendell to identify 4.25 percent that can be cut from the system's current state appropriation. The request was made recently in light of an anticipated state revenue shortfall.

If the fiscal picture does not improve by June, cuts totaling $22.4 million would be imposed across the 14 schools, including California, Clarion, Edinboro, Indiana and Slippery Rock universities in Western Pennsylvania.

Other public universities face the same 4.25 percent cut, which would mean a loss of $7.3 million at the University of Pittsburgh; $14.4 million at Penn State University; $7.5 million at Temple University; and $616,000 at Lincoln University.

Where the cuts would be made on the various campuses this year is still being determined. Officials with some universities have suggested it could add pressure to impose significant future tuition hikes.

At the 14 state-owned schools, tuition increases the last four years have been kept at or below the inflation rate.

A 4 percent tuition increase next year would translate into $214 more than the current base rate of $5,358 charged at the schools, which have a combined enrollment of just over 112,500 students.

State System spokesman Kenn Marshall said next year's budget request is justified, even in light of the state's revenue picture.

"We understand the difficulty the state's economy is going through, but we view the appropriation to the State System as an investment in the state's future," he said.

The appropriation request approved by the board of governors at its meeting in Harrisburg seeks an additional $28.4 million over the current $498.5 million appropriation.

Also yesterday, the board agreed to extend the contracts of 13 campus presidents through June 2011. West Chester University's president is an interim and was not covered by yesterday's extension vote.