We could know by this afternoon what students at St. Cloud State University and the St. Cloud Technical College can expect to pay in tuition next fall. The trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and University system are scheduled to meet this afternoon in St.Paul. They will vote on their $1.97-billion operating budget, which is nearly $77 million less than the current fiscal year.

The budget would increase tuition at the system’s two-year colleges by an average of 3.7 percent to $4,644. The average tuition bump at the system’s four-year universities is 4.8 percent to $6,497.

If the trustees approve the budget, the tuition increases would become effective during the summer or fall term at the discretion of the campus president.

The budget also cuts expenses by nearly $65 million.