Students can expect an even larger than usual hit to their wallets soon, as the University announced this week that it will raise tuition 5.75 percent for undergraduates for the 2006-2007 school year.

In a meeting Tuesday, the Stanford Board of Trustees set the undergraduate tuition rate at $32,994, up from $31,200 this year. The Board also increased the standard undergraduate room rate from $5.276 to $5,571, and standard board from $4,656 to $4,796 - increases of 5.6 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

This year's tuition shift of 5.75 percent represents a marked increase from years past. The Board of Trustees increased tuition 4.5 percent in 2003 and 2004, with a 5 percent increase in 2002. Room and board increases have shown more variation over the years.

According to The Stanford Report, only 60 percent of the costs of undergraduate education are covered by tuition. As one of the few private universities with a need-blind admissions policy, the University prides itself on its ability to ensure that students are accepted regardless of their ability to pay.

"We are committed to continuing Stanford's tradition of excellence in education and research," said Board of Trustees Chair Burton McMurtry. "It was Jane and Leland Stanford's intent that the university admit students based on their abilities, promise and willingness to work hard and not on whether or not they could pay the cost of tuition. Stanford remains a place where a worthy student can rise through his or her own efforts."

According to the University, 76 percent of undergraduates receive some form of financial aid from internal and external sources, with 46 percent receiving need-based assistance directly from Stanford.

General graduate student tuition also increased 5.75 percent to $32,994. Specialized graduate tuition varies according to each school, with engineering and law students experiencing increases of 5.75 percent, while School of Medicine tuitions rates rose just 4 percent. The Graduate School of Business uses a new set-tuition structure in which MBA students pay the same rate each of their two years at the GSB. Incoming MBA students will pay $43,380, while current students pay $41,340.

Three new trustees, James Canales Jr., Lauren Dachs and Bruce Dunlevie, were elected to the Board earlier this week, the University announced. Canales, who recently served as chair of the Stanford Alumni Association, earned both his undergraduate and master's degrees at Stanford. Dachs, also a Stanford alumnus, currently serves as executive director of the S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation and served on the board of visitors for the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Dunlevie co-founded Benchmark Capital after earning his MBA from the GSB and was a member of the Parent's Program Advisory Board at Stanford.

"I'm extremely pleased that Jim, Laurie and Bruce have agreed to serve as trustees," McMurtry said. "Each has long and close relationships with various parts of Stanford, and I know they will make significant contributions to Stanford governance."