Topeka ? The Kansas Board of Regents is studying proposals to raise tuition and fees this fall at the state’s public universities.

The nine-member board will discuss the proposals during its meeting Thursday in Topeka.

The proposed increases for undergraduates range from 4.1 percent at Fort Hays State to 8.2 percent at the University of Kansas.

Officials of the universities have told the regents the increases are needed to maintain quality academic programs.

But board members are concerned about pricing a college education out of reach of many Kansans, especially in the current economy.