DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The board that oversees Iowa’s three public universities says its plan for a new two-year budget system will bring more predictability to tuition expenses for students and their families, but the unpredictability of available state funding could complicate that effort.

The Iowa Board of Regents, which provides support to the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa, announced recently a plan to fund the budget years ending in 2018 and 2019 with a combination of tuition increases and new state dollars. The board will continue to seek money for one year ahead.

It may become increasingly difficult to determine how much money the Iowa Legislature will allocate each year to higher education. Student representatives expressed frustration when the board voted in July to raise tuition.