The campaign kickoff will begin at 5 p.m. outside UNC-Chapel Hill's George Watts Hill Alumni Center and will precede a tuition forum sponsored by UNC-TV, scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. in the same building.
Both events are open to the public.
Panelists at the tuition forum are slated to include UNC-system President Molly Broad, Sen. Howard Lee, D-Orange, Rep. Art Pope, R-Wake, and ASG President Andrew Payne. The forum was prompted by campus-initiated tuition increase requests at several UNC-system schools, including UNC-CH. The UNC-system Board of Governors is slated to vote on tuition March 6.
Payne said the "Keep North Carolina Educated" campaign's primary objective is to grab voters' attention and bring higher education funding to the front of the state's political agenda.
"(The ASG's) message is that tuition is out of control, and the (N.C.) General Assembly is not meeting its constitutional responsibility when it comes to funding higher education," Payne said.
Payne said he is expecting about 200 students to gather for the rally and some to address the public forum. He added that he will provide further details about the campaign at the rally. Payne emphasized the need for legislative funding for the UNC system despite the budget shortfall. "Even in tough budget times, the General Assembly has responsibilities," he said.
ASG Treasurer Jonathan Ducot
