The 2006-07 budget request - approved Thursday by the 16-member, policy-setting board - represents a 7.1 percent increase over the current year's budget.

Higher education gets about 60 percent of its operating budget from state appropriations; student-paid tuition makes up the remaining 40 percent.

The $57.2 million request includes $45.3 million for priorities at nine state-owned colleges and the regents' administrative office; $5 million in one-time money; and $6.9 million in supplemental increases. the Utah College of Applied Technology, the state's 10th college, has a separate budget.

Higher Education Commissioner Richard Kendell called the budget request a "great investment" for Utah.

"Every dollar put into college education has a clear return in terms of investment," he said. "There are physical assets in new buildings, research and development that bring new money in the state and graduates who are doctors, engineers, teachers and other professionals."

Topping priorities are faculty and staff pay raises. Although the regents did not recommend a specific dollar amount for raises, they are asking for $5 million for salary retention. That money is to keep some of the top-ranked professors and researchers from leaving Utah for higher wages elsewhere.

Also among the priorities are $6.3 million for fuel and power cost increases; $3.5 million for building operation and maintenance costs; $2.4 million for financial aid and $10 million for student access, advising and retention to shore up graduation rates.

Student leaders sought regents' support for more financial aid.

Ryan Starks, Weber State University student-body president, told the board that if he hadn't been able to secure financial assistance, he would not have been able to attend college upon his return from a religious mission in Ecuador in 2003.

Recently married, Starks said, he and his wife are college students.

"Financial aid shouldn't be just for the very poor," he said. "It should also help the average student like me."

The regents' higher education request now goes to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. where it will be incorporated into the state's budget. Huntsman is expected to announce his budget proposal in early December.

In other action, the regents:

* Approved Dixie State College's plan to acquire a 20-unit apartment building adjacent to its St. George campus. The asking price for the complex is $1.6 million.

* Allowed Kendell to take a $570 monthly auto allowance instead of driving a state-funded car for business and incidental personal use.

The commissioner also will be reimbursed 12 cents a mile for business travel.

* Accepted the 2005 fall semester enrollment report, showing there are 98,345 full-time students at the nine state-owned colleges. The figure represents a decline of 1,720 full-time students, or 1.72 percent, from 100,065 in fall 2004. Depending on the institution, each college could get about $5,000 a year in taxpayers' money for every full-time student.

sykes@sltrib.com