State education officials want colleges and universities to keep classes affordable for Hoosier families burdened with job losses and economic hardship.

Tuition increases should be in the low single digits — from 3.5 percent to 5 percent, depending on the school — the Indiana Commission for Higher Education recommended Thursday. That’s lower than the average 7 percent in past years and more in line with the 3 percent to 4 percent pledge made by the state’s private schools.

But the recommendations are nonbinding, and for some schools, they might be a little low.Ivy Tech Community College said it plans to raise tuition 4.9 percent — nearly a point higher than the commission’s 4 percent recommendation for the school — and Purdue University, while staying at the recommended 5 percent for in-state students, plans to raise out-of-state tuition by 6 percent.At least one state lawmaker thinks the numbers should be zero across the board.State Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, opposes the commission’s recommendations, arguing that higher education did not suffer in the recently approved state budget.“Our campuses are being spared massive cuts being considered across the country by legislatures elsewhere,” Delph said in a statement. “And they are not facing increases in the inflation rate or cost of living. . . .”To me and others in the legislature, any increase is unreasonable at this time. Our institutions of higher learning need to tighten their belts just like Hoosier families.“On the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis on Thursday, some students agreed with Delph.”With the economy the way it is, I think it’s wrong for them to increase tuition," said Winfred Asante, a 24-year-old senior. “People have to already take care of stuff like bills. They have trouble paying bills without more.”Asante said he will have to talk to his manager at Kroger and ask for more hours to cope with tuition increases.“It means I might not be able to take a full load of classes this semester. I might have to take four instead of five. Paying tuition is already hard.”Asante might know for sure by Monday, when Indiana University President Michael McRobbie hopes to announce tuition fees.Mike Smith, chairman of the Higher Education Commission, said this is the first year for such recommendations, which were mandated by the legislature. Surpassing the recommendation will not lead to any penalty or required explanation to the commission.“The authority for setting final tuition and fee schedules rests with the leadership and boards of trustees,” Smith said. “We know (they) are in a much better position and are much better informed.”Nationwide, colleges are struggling to juggle tight budgets with a desire to be sensitive to the needs of families. According to a study by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the average private school increase will be about 4.3 percent. Many public colleges across the nation have withheld tuition announcements until their state budgets are finalized.Ivy Tech, which has seen historic enrollment increases of 33 percent this summer and a potential 25 percent rise in the fall, said it would have no trouble justifying a slightly larger increase to help pay for more faculty and student services.“We are confident that when we discuss our tuition increase with them and the reasons for it, we believe they will understand our recommendation,” Ivy Tech spokesman Jeff Fanter said.In real dollars, he added, the increase does not appear quite so high. The current in-state tuition rate is $95 per credit hour at Ivy Tech. The proposed rate is $99.65 per credit hour — or a $69.75 increase per semester for a full-time student taking 15 credit hours.That was the same message out of West Lafayette, where Purdue President France A. Córdova said using percentages is not the best way to understand tuition increases.“It is not helpful,” she said. “We would rather talk in terms of numbers. Our fee increase for returning students is 5 percent, or $388 for the year.”It’s $1.42 a day."Purdue, along with most other public and private schools, also has tapped into endowments to offer more financial aid to students whose families are struggling. Córdova said a $500 fee for students in high-cost programs such as engineering and pharmacy will be rebated for incoming freshmen, thanks to federal stimulus dollars.