Ohio University (OU) police have charged four student protesters for disrupting the Board of Trustees meeting Friday.

The four students, who were arrested and later released, were part of a dozen protesters who staged a rally and sit-in against the 1.6 percent or $164 increase in tuition for in-state undergraduates for the 2013-14 academic year.

As a result, the undergraduate tuition will increase by $164 a year or $82 per semester, bringing the overall total to $10,446.

Megan Marzec, a sophomore art major; Ellie Hamrick, a senior in anthropology; Jessica Lindner, a sophomore plant-biology major; and Eden Almasude, a graduate student in African studies, are now scheduled to appear at Athens County Municipal Court, Monday.

During the meeting, the OU Police Chief Andrew Powers warned the protesters that they will face arrest if they didn't leave the place in two minutes. These four students remained while the rest of the protesters cleared the place immediately.

Protesters urged the university officials to implement a salary cap and cuts to top administrators' salaries; and warned them that if their concerns were not heard, they will continue with the protests and retaliations.

Chief financial officer Stephen T. Golding said that the 1.6 percent tuition is set to generate additional $2.7 million in tuition and fee.

But the university is still expected to borrow around $3.5 million to fund student financial aid and for other operating costs.

The OU officials initially considered hiking tuition costs for in-state undergraduates either by 1 percent, 1.6 percent or 2 percent.

The trustees also decided to hike room rates by 3.5 percent and meal-plan rates by 0.5 percent, which will be added to the $9,950 for students who have opted for a standard double room with air conditioning and a 20-meal plan.

However, out-of-state undergraduate and graduate-student tuition and fees will not be raised, but the instructional fee and non-resident surcharge for students at the Heritage College of Medicine will be increased by 5 percent.

Lower division students attending the regional campuses will be soon asked to pay extra 2 percent while upper division students will pay 0.8 percent more in tuition.