MADISON, Wis. -- University of Wisconsin System officials said the budget approved by the Board of Regents Thursday will mean larger classes, cuts in student services, tighter reins on spending and an increase in tuition.

UW President Kevin Reilly said there's no doubt the next several years "are going to be very difficult" on UW campuses.

The operating budget cuts $50 million in state aid, freezes salaries and requires eight days of furloughs for all UW System employees.

Guidelines approved by the board also direct campuses to slow down hiring and travel while they make plans to cut or merge unpopular or redundant academic programs.

The regents approved a tuition increase of 5.5 percent on most campuses. But plans call for providing grants to students from low-income families to make up for the increase.

The tuition increase this year is on par with the increases students have faced the last two years, only this time the circumstances of many families and the university have changed.

Reilly said the tuition increase was necessary after a $161 million cut in state funding.

"At a time like this when so many are feeling squeezed by the global economic troubles, we'd love to have no tuition increase at all," Reilly said. "In reality however, I believe that is not an option. It's simply not possible given the pressures we are under and the cuts we will have to make."

The move means that tuition will go up by $617 at UW-Madison, $359 at UW-Milwaukee and about $280 at 11 other universities.

"Although $600 isn't going to make or break someone, some people might not be able to come to school because of that," said Micah Bookman, a UW-Madison senior.

"Fortunately, I was financed by my family, but if I was in a position where I was paying for my children's education, I can see how it would seriously impact me, especially with the current economic situation," said recent graduate Chris Quimbo.

The UW System is trying to cushion the blow for some students.

"We've worked hard on what we call the architecture of this budget, so that assuming we have a tuition increase in the 5-6 percent range, students whose family income is at or below the state median of $60,000 will be held harmless from any tuition increase for the first time ever," Reilly said.

Even though many will be expected to pay more, some students said they'll find a way.

"I just adjust my lifestyle, cut back in places (and) just deal with it," said Mark Frazier, a UW-Madison senior.

"It takes me a long time to earn $600, so for me personally it's not fair, but I think overall people will cope and get by," said Bookman.

The budget protects students from families who earn less than $60,000 by promising enough state and federal financial aid grants to cover the tuition increases.

At UW-Madison students from families with incomes of up to $80,000 will be shielded from the tuition increase under the "Madison Initiative."

Reilly said the increases only cover about $35 million of the budget cuts the UW System is facing. Reilly said if tuition were raised to cover the entire amount of the cuts over two years, they'd have to raise tuition more than 20 percent each year.

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