OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma state regents have approved tuition increases for 25 colleges and universities across the state, including nearly 10 percent hikes for Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma.

Students at those schools will pay nearly $20 more per credit hour. A student carrying the average 15 credit-hour load will have to come up with an extra $586 per semester.

“It's very clear that there's a concern about any dollar that's raised for tuition,” said Glen Johnson, who represents the Regents.

He said that although it looks like the board automatically approves every requested tuition hike, those requests are just part of a long budgetary process.

“We work with them 12 months out of the year,” he said.

Johnson said universities in Oklahoma are going through tough times right now, especially since the state didn’t increase funding for higher education. The money to pay for new programs or to continue existing ones has to come from somewhere.

“There's not an institution there that wants to look at raising tuition any more than is absolutely necessary to provide students with the educational opportunities they deserve,” he said.

Johnson said the Regents ask all of the schools about cost-saving measures they’ve checked into.

OSU President Burns Hargis said the school has an energy-saving program and is trying to raise more money for endowed chairs and scholarships.