Student leaders debate system tuition increases

This weekend UNC-system student leaders will weigh in on how much of a tuition increase they think their constituents can handle.

Tuition will be the key issue on the agenda at the Association of Student Governments monthly meeting this weekend at Appalachian State University.

The talk follows informal discussion by the Board of Governors budget and finance committee last weekend on a possible moratorium on 2008-09 tuition hikes.

""By and large we need to make sure we have tuition as affordable as possible in good times and bad times"" said board member Craig Souza, who supports a freeze.

Greg Doucette, ASG president and ex-officio member of the UNC Board of Governors, said each university delegation will be asked what increase their students are willing to see, if any. That feedback will then be turned over to the BOG.

Families are struggling" and I'm a former dropout. I hate seeing tuition increases anytime" Doucette said.

I'm going to try and talk with the board to push whatever the students want to push.""

Souza said the BOG is reluctant to act hastily and is looking for input from the universities before formally presenting the tuition freeze.

""All the Board of Governors is doing now is contemplating what to do" Souza said. Everybody's got to tighten their belts now" and so do our campuses.""

Doucette said he was unsure whether a freeze would stand up to future discussion by the board.

""I don't know if the votes are there to pass any kind of freeze"" he said.

Bunny Sanders, BOG secretary and a member of the budget and finance committee, said the BOG has an obligation to consider how a freeze could alleviate at least some of the financial hardships students face.

Kids are going to have an especially hard time" she said. It hasn't happened" but it is something that I think we have the obligation to consider.""

Logan Liles" leader of the UNC-CH delegation said that while tuition increases are often not welcomed by students sometimes they are necessary.

The UNC-CH tuition and fee advisory task force recommended tuition increases earlier this week for in-state and out-of-state undergraduates" as well as graduate students.

""There's always a love-hate kind of relationship"" Liles said. Students want the best education possible while having to pay as little as necessary to have that.""

Liles also said the BOG's request for input from ASG is a testament to the improved legitimacy of the association this year.

""I think they're going to give it a lot of weight" he said.

Souza said students should be an integral part of all decisions regarding tuition.

I think that students should always have their voices heard when it comes to the increase of tuition and fees he said.

After all" they're the ones who pay it.""



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