GRAND FORKS (AP) - A University of North Dakota law school plan to dramatically raise tuition over four years will not go into effect next school year.

The Legislature's Budget Section must approve all tuition hikes of more than 5 percent. University System Chancellor Bill Goetz said the group will not consider the plan at its June meeting, the last chance for the plan to win approval before tuition is set for the coming academic year.

The state Board of Higher Education approved the tuition increase plan in February, on a 4-3 vote. It includes 15 percent annual rises for four straight years for new students. Current students would see their rates increase by about 7 percent next year and 10 percent the following year.

The Budget Section's chairman, Sen. Ray Holmberg, R-Grand Forks, said he decided not to put the tuition hike on the agenda for the June meeting because he thinks lawmakers will balk at raising tuition at a single professional school. However, Holmberg said that does not mean he thinks a tuition increase is unwarranted.

"I have the sense that they could use an increase," he said. "But if there's an increase there for X, then all of a sudden (the) pharmacy (school) comes in two months later for Y and the medical school for Z.

"The board talks about a unified system, and they need to have a unified discussion about tuition for professional programs," Holmberg said. "That's where I'm coming from."

Law school dean Paul LeBel has said the tuition hike is necessary to pay adequate salaries to faculty and to fund student scholarships and activities such as the Law Review journal and moot court competitions.

He said the hike would bring UND law school tuition roughly in line with what is being charged at other law schools in the region.