Thursday, May 7, 2026
UIARGONAUT.COM
FOR, OF AND BY THE STUDENTS SINCE 1898
Fall to bring tuition hikes
Budget cuts tighten belts Dakota Steffen ARGONAUT
Students will pay $425 more to attend the University of Idaho starting in the fall, marking the largest increase in tuition in three years. The Idaho State Board of Education approved total tuition and fee adjustments for the state’s public colleges and universities during a special board meeting on April 28. Full-time undergraduates who are Idaho residents will pay an extra $425 for the 2026-27 school year, while nonresident tuition will increase by $664. UI estimates $4.3 million in net new revenue from the increases, according to Brian Foisy, vice president for the Division of Finance and Administration. “These are not simple decisions, and they are not made lightly,” Board of Education President Kurt
Liebich said. “Our goal is to ensure students have access to high-quality opportunities while maintaining the strength and stability of our institutions.” “Idaho continues to rank among the top 10 states for college affordability, with tuition increases that have remained below national averages and competitive with surrounding states,” the Board of Education wrote in a news release. The consolidated mandatory fee, included in the total tuition calculation, increased by $24 for a total of $2,396 per year. The consolidated mandatory fee covers Student Enrollment, Engagement and Success; Institutional Operations, Services and Support; Student Health and Wellness; and Student Government. In an open forum presentation on March 26, the university initially proposed a tuition increase of $448 per year. UI then requested an increase of $470 in materials submitted to the Board of Education on April 9.
TPUSA visits Moscow
Michael Knowles, Matt Walsh share conservative views for U.S. Dale Fussell ARGONAUT
Turning Point USA spoke to students and community members about a conservative path forward for the U.S. on April 28 in the ICCU Arena, with speakers including Laine Schoneberger, CEO of Yrefy, Jobob Taeleifi, a comedian and commentator, and Matt Walsh and Michael Knowles, two commentators affiliated with the Daily Wire. Schoneberger attributed rising student debt to government loans, advocating for the privatization of all student debt and removing the government entirely. Taeleifi mentioned an excerpt from The Daily Californian following a visit to the University of California, Berkeley, which claimed he had shared “a number of racist and homophobic jokes.” He called it “a wild misrepresentation of my humor. My jokes are also misogynistic, xenopho-
bic and transphobic.” Knowles and Walsh headlined the event, starting with remarks about former FBI Director James Comey’s recent indictment, saying it was a “very good start” and that Democrats have continuously called for violence against conservatives. The two repeatedly called leftists and liberals demonic throughout the event. Knowles also claimed that 56% of Democrats said they would justify violence against President Donald Trump, although Knowles did not cite where this research was from. One audience member asked about a falsified graph used on Walsh’s show claiming transgender people had the highest rate of mass shooting violence perpetrators. Walsh agreed with the graph, calling both transgender people and the audience member “mentally deranged.” The event concluded with a 10-year-old boy who asked what advice they would have for someone wanting to become a priest. Knowles responded, “Don’t be a Jesuit,” but then encouraged the ten-year-old to continue on that path.
John Keegan | Argonaut
UI freshmen Eric Grimes and Rio Garland, volunteer firefighters in training, watch smoke emerge from the live training grounds before a training simulation. Read more on page 3
131st commencement to be May 16 UI will see off second-largest graduating class Joshua Reisenfeld ARGONAUT The 131st spring commencement ceremonies for the University of Idaho main campus will be held at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome. Each ceremony is expected to last 2 hours and 30 minutes. Although graduation services said they were not yet able to release graduation statistics as the numbers
continue to change daily, UI President Scott Green said at the University Faculty Meeting that this will be the second largest graduating class in UI history. The 9:30 a.m. ceremony includes the College of Art and Architecture, College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, College of Law and College of Graduate Studies. The 2 p.m. ceremony includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, College of Business and Economics, College of Engineering, College of Natural Resources and Col-
ASUI President Seyi Arogundade recaps her administration Josie Adjanohoun ARGONAUT
Colton Moore | Argonaut
Seyi Arogundade
An increase in student participation and interest in ASUI in 2025-26 is among major accomplishments
Finals Fest will feature Young the Giant
cited by the outgoing ASUI president. Seyi Arogundade, during the April 22 ASUI Senate meeting, said, “Coming from a place with ASUI, where we barely had any people come to our meeting all at last year, this is really heartwarming to see how much students care and are involved in our community. Thank you for being here, thank you for advocating for yourselves.” This highlighted the growth in ASUI during her campaign. Arogundade has also made history as the first African-American to be elected as student body president in UI’s existence. The Argonaut sat with Arogundade, current president of ASUI, asking about original campaign promises, the most important accomplishments of her administration and what she
Gallery, 8, 16
Elections, 9-11
hopes her legacy will be for the future growth of ASUI. Arogundade and ASUI Vice President Bryant Sitts’s biggest goal during their campaign was to improve the club funding system to be more transparent, which was achieved in their administration, as reported by The Argonaut. “Really being able to give clubs a lot of money, especially the clubs that were shut down due to the multicultural and DEI offices being closed, and I really think we accomplished that,” said Arogundade. These changes allowed ASUI senators to vote on club funding amounts, and for UI clubs and organizations to speak directly to ASUI, explaining the purpose and goal of their funding. This led to the creation of the director of
Tyler Graff: A distance star quickly rising
LIFE, 6 Life, 6-7
GradImages of each candidate as they shake their college dean’s hand and receive their diploma cover. GradImages will contact graduating students shortly after commencement with purchasing options. Students can donate regalia after graduation to help future graduates. Drop-off locations include the Kibbie Dome entrances Saturday, May 16, the ISUB third floor outside the ASUI Office, May 16-18 and the Bruce M. Pitman Center main entrance May 16-18.
ASUI hits goal of club funding clarity
IN THIS ISSUE
News, 1-5
lege of Science. Students will line up along University Avenue near the Administration Building Lawn one hour and 15 minutes before the ceremony, which is 8:15 a.m. for the morning ceremony and 12:45 p.m. for the afternoon ceremony. Students must be dressed in full regalia. The ceremonies, including the processionals, will stream live online from 9 a.m. to noon for the morning ceremony and 1:305:30 p.m. for the afternoon ceremony at uidaho.edu/ live. Professional photography will be provided by
finance position, currently held by Zac Knapp, and previously held by ASUI president-elect Lance Butikofer. Another effect of publicizing the club funding process was an increase of meeting attendance by club members explaining and supporting their club. “We’ve definitely given clubs more money this year than we ever have, and being able to support clubs and organizations in that way was a big goal for us.” When asked about a goal not reached by the administration, Arogundade said they ran with the goal of creating “an Idaho Student Association” where Idaho universities’ student governments could come together and approach the state with united concerns or solutions. Read more online.
Doug Wilson’s perspective is short-sighted
SPORTS, 12 Sports, 12-13
Opinion, 14-15
OPINION, 14 University of Idaho
Volume 127, Issue no. 13
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