Students should expect to pay about a 4.2 percent spike in room and board rates next fall, the result of rising energy costs hitting the university.

David Creamer, senior vice president for administration, said the university will seek approval for the increase at the second Board of Trustees meeting of the semester tomorrow, which is being held in Columbus.

Creamer said the room and board increase does not just reflect traditional inflation, but rather is an outgrowth of energy prices impacting other markets. For example, high gas prices have increased costs for shipping food.

“The energy piece is coming through in two ways,” he said. “It affects utilities and food.”

The proposed room and board increase of about 4.2 percent is down from last year’s 4.7 percent increase and on par with other Ohio universities. Bowling Green University proposed a 5 percent room and board increase, and Miami University proposed a 4.6 percent increase.

Creamer said the university will also propose a price increase for parking passes for the next two academic years.

“We’ve been doing those on a more frequent basis, largely because we’ve been trying to improve the parking,” he said.