Manhattan ? If a preliminary proposal for a tuition increase is approved by Kansas State officials and the Board of Regents, the university would for the first time bring in more money from tuition than it receives from state funds.

The proposal, which would increase tuition 4 percent for the next academic year, would bring in $165.9 million in tuition revenue to the school, university officials said. Gov. Sam Brownback’s fiscal year 2012 budget proposal calls for state funding for the university to remain at $164.9 million.

The tuition change would raise in-state undergraduate tuition to $231.30 per hour, an $8.90 increase, and out-of-state undergraduate tuition to $613.60 per hour, a $23.60 increase, the Manhattan Mercury reported Wednesday.

If student fees also increase 4 percent, an in-state undergraduate student taking 30 hours would pay $7,670, a $294 increase, during the next academic year, the newspaper said.

Bruce Shubert, Kansas State’s vice president for administration and finance, said he hopes state funding will start to increase when the state’s economy begins to improve, because it would be difficult to meet university needs otherwise.

University officials said they need an additional $13.1 million in fiscal year 2012, $9.6 million of which would be required spending increases — such as $3.8 million to replace stimulus funds, $3.15 million to fund a 15 percent increase in employer group health insurance and $1.5 million to fund increased financial aid costs.

In addition to $5.5 million from the tuition increase, the university plans to implement $2.6 million in funding cuts it agreed to last spring. Kansas State officials expect that even without the tuition increase, the university will get an estimated $3.9 million in tuition-based revenue from increased enrollment.

The tuition increase proposal is not final, with the Student Governing Association’s recommendation expected next week.

“The president of the university makes the final decision, but we make every effort to be inclusive so we’re not going forth with a proposal that’s not supported,” Shubert said.

The Board of Regents is expected to hear the proposal in May and make a final decision at its June meeting.