PIERRE, S.D.(WNAX)- The South Dakota legislature included some extra dollars in the budget for the Board of Regents to give their employees a six percent raise.

Board President Pam Roberts says keeping pay competitive has been difficult.

Roberts says they were looking at a tuition increase if the legislature didn’t act.

Roberts says the pay increase will help them attract and keep employees.

The legislature also approved a spending package of over two hundred eighty million dollars in new facilities and upgrades across the six campuses.