Outgoing U-of-M President Eric Kaler is defending his proposal to increase undergraduate tuition amid objections from some members of the Board of Regents and a vote set for next Wednesday. Kaler argues raising tuition two-and-a-half percent on the Twin Cities campus and one-and-a-half percent at U-M-D, Crookston, Morris and Rochester is part of “a responsible budget that balances the need for investments and compensation increases with the cost incurred by our students.” But some say tuition increases should remain below the rate of inflation. The legislature requested the U-of-M hold any tuition increase to three percent maximum. Lawmakers gave the -U- only about half the state funding increase that Kaler requested, appropriating 43.5 million dollars.