Student leaders are lone voices in favor of lower tuition increases for 2010-11

When it comes to tuition, not many students understand exactly what the money is used for and how the increase proposal process works.

But they know one thing: Their bill likely will be higher next year.

There’s a large disconnect between what students and administrators value when it comes to tuition increases — and student government leaders found themselves caught in the middle of the two Wednesday.

They face a difficult task — one that consists of fighting misconceptions, representing the students and determining what is best for the University. Often these three values cannot coexist.

In Wednesday’s talks, this conflict isolated student government leaders from University administrators as most members of the task force expressed interest in hiking undergraduate nonresident tuition by as much as $1,414.30 and resident tuition by $251.

Student Body President Jasmin Jones and Vice President David Bevevino — the two undergraduate students sitting on the tuition and fee advisory task force — were the only two members to vote against the higher tuition increase proposal. They favored a lower increase.

“I did appreciate the fact that student leaders stood up for us in there,” said freshman Nicole Pradel, who attended the meeting.

“They did give us some voice in the process, but there were only two of them.”

While they pushed for lower increases, the duo still supported increases of 5.2 percent for all undergraduate students.

Throughout the tuition increase talks, members of the task force have struggled against student misconceptions of what the increases will fund.

“From the letters I have seen, and replies I’ve gotten through e-mail, there is clearly a problem of communication,” said Bruce Carney, interim executive vice chancellor and provost.

Out-of-State Student Association President Ryan Morgan sent e-mails to the association’s listserv telling students that their tuition would fund the South Road pedestrian “bridge to nowhere” and “useless plasma screen TVs in Lenoir.”

Tuition increases pay only for financial aid, faculty retention, graduate remission and academic services. But many students see only the higher price tag on their tuition and feel targeted.

“Their mind-set is that they can raise tuition as much as they want,” said senior Ben Carroll, a member of Students for a Democratic Society, who protested against the increases.

Morgan said it is easy for administrators to forget about the students.

“We can all agree that the University needs money, but I don’t agree that the out-of-state students should be the cash cows for the University,” he said.

Bevevino said he and Jones are committed to helping students understand the issue, but also explaining to administrators how students feel.

“I think you have to understand the values that students have,” he said.

“If we don’t take that seriously and we don’t communicate that, then we’re pushing our own values and that’s not OK.”



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.