Western officials want to charge students for extra credit hours.

But the Student Government Association plans to protest.

The Board of Regents will vote on a $30 charge for each credit hour exceeding 15 hours at its meeting on April 24, President Gary Ransdell said.

Western’s current policy is to charge students who take over 18 hours about $300 dollars for each extra course, Ransdell said.

Students need 15 hours a semester to graduate in four years with the 120-hour degree program, he said.

Student Regent Reagan Gilley said he’s against the policy because it would punish students for taking extra hours.

SGA met Monday night and discussed creating a petition for students to sign and rallying at the regents’ meeting.

“As a student organization, we are very opposed to back door tuition increases,” SGA President Kayla Shelton said during the meeting.

But Ransdell said officials don’t intend for the policy to be a way to raise tuition.

He said other schools such as Morehead State University have similar tuition policies.

The policy isn’t enough to increase tuition revenue, but Western will save money by eliminating course sections, Ransdell said.

When students register for extra classes and then drop them it keeps others from being able to take them, Ransdell said.

Officials sometimes make extra course sections because of students who drop classes, he said.

Western has to pay faculty to teach the extra sections, Ransdell said.

He said the policy should discourage students from “shopping around” for classes because they’ll be charged for extra hours.

Provost Barbara Burch said students could save money with the proposed policy.

She said students who graduate early would pay $900 to take 10 extra hours each year for three years and save two semesters of tuition.

Faculty Regent Patricia Minter said she has mixed feelings about the policy.

Minter said the policy might keep students from registering for extra classes.

She said Western can’t afford to offer as many course sections because of budget cuts.

Minter declined to comment on her other opinions about the policy.

Lexington sophomore Rob Strobel said he takes 19 hours a semester, so the policy would affect him.

He said he thinks the extra charge would keep students who take extra hours at Western longer.

“The regents rarely keep in mind the students,” Strobel said.

Madisonville freshman Casey Hopson said the policy wouldn’t affect her because she doesn’t need to take more than 15 hours per semester.

Regent Chairwoman Lois Gray said she supports the policy, but she understands the students’ side.

“Do I like to raise costs for students?” she said. “No.”

She said the policy would help Western stay within the budget.

Ransdell said he expects the regents to approve the policy.

Reporter Mary Barczak contributed to this story.