Student Government President Kyle Maguire said at Tuesday’s meeting that a raise in tuition funds for senators is in the works.

Student Government Treasurer Joe Evanko said senators receive $25 toward their tuition and Maguire, as president, receives $1,400.

With a proposed raise, senators would receive $75 and the president would receive $2,000. The total addition proposed is $5,445.

Maguire noted tuition payments have been around since 2006, when the former student senate expanded to become student government.

Maguire said senators used to receive the perk of early registration for classes, but that it was no longer justifiable to keep that perk.

Student government meetings used to be held at 4 p.m., so students had to shift classes to attend, according to Maguire.

Now, meetings are held at 9 p.m., when no classes are in session.

According to Maguire, Registrar Office officials are attempting to cut down on how many students receive early registration. Student government members were part of that cut this semester.

President Pro Tempore Madison Nick said members had been discussing a raise for a few years, but that, in discussions with Student Affairs Vice President Shawn Brooks, options were to either keep the early registration perk or increase the tuition payments.

At a meeting last week, senators passed a proposal to increase the tuition payments.

Nick said that being a senator is like having a full-time job.

“We mapped it out, and (the old rates) were not even minimum wage.”

Maguire said a board member might put in 15 hours a month, which, at minimum wage, is about $600 a semester.

“To get $55 total as a freshman senator is not right.

“The work we do for student government is worth much more than what we earn.”

Maguire noted he was not in it for the money, and that the experience was a much more valuable reward.

Nick said in deciding new amounts for tuition payments, they had gotten data from other campuses, including St. Francis University.

“They’re half our (enrollment) size, but their president gets double what ours does.”

Maguire said he had reached out to the student government presidents of other branch campuses.

“The Pitt-Oakland president gets 100% tuition paid, but I don’t want to compare to them.”

Brooks agreed that an increase was justifiable.

“If you vote yourselves a pay increase, there’s no need for the perk (of early registration),” he said.

“I was supportive (when they brought it up to me), and I will continue to be supportive.”

The proposal is not yet final. Maguire has invited any student with questions to the student government meetings at 9 p.m. Tuesdays in the Cambria Room.