Eastern Michigan University officials hope the tuition freeze they enacted this year will lead to more state funding for next year.

The university is asking the state Legislature to approve a 5 percent increase in state funding for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

The Legislature recently approved funding for colleges this fiscal year that cuts aid to universities by 2.8 percent.

"The request highlights Eastern’s leadership among Michigan’s 15 public universities in tuition restraint,” EMU President Susan Martin said in remarks at Tuesday’s Board of Regents meeting. “In each of the last two years, Eastern’s tuition and fees increases — 3.8 percent and 0 percent — were the lowest of any Michigan university. For the two-year period, the average tuition increase for the other 14 public universities was 10.8 percent, compared to our 3.8 percent.

“We are hopeful that our leadership role in containing costs will be recognized in the appropriations process, particularly since 90 percent of our students are from Michigan, and 80 percent of our graduates stay in Michigan.

“An investment in Eastern is an investment in Michigan.”

The university announced in April that it would keep tuition, room and board and student fees all flat this academic year.

John Lumm, the chief financial officer, told the board a 5-percent increase in state funding would amount to about $3.8 million The university gets more than $70 million in state aid currently, he said.

The board approved the request without comment. The regents also approved the university’s state capital outlay requests.

Leading that request is funding for Strong Hall, which is part of the university’s science complex.

The building was built in 1957 and has not had any significant renovations since then, the university noted in a press release.

The estimated cost to renovate Strong Hall is $38 million. Under the state’s normal procedure, the state would cover 75 percent of the cost and the university would cover the rest if the state decides to fund it.

Plans call for modernizing classrooms and lab spaces and adding new technology, along with updating the fire suppression systems and the replacement of structural, mechanical and electrical systems.

David Jesse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at davidjesse@annarbor.com or at 734-623-2534.