Here’s a snippet from a post of mine at the UNCG Campus Watch:

Tuition cap approved by BOG

We discussed the proposed tuition cap in an earlier post. Well… it isn’t “proposed” anymore. The UNC System Board of Governors approved the 6.5% Tuition Increase Cap for a four year trial period on Friday, October 13, 2006.

Here’s a short article on the subject from WRAL TV in Raleigh (via UNCASG):

The University of North Carolina Board of Governors on Friday approved a 6.5 percent cap on tuition increases at the UNC system’s 16 campuses.
UNC President Erskine Bowles proposed the cap as a way to help families plan for higher-education costs. He said he also wants state lawmakers to pick up more slack in funding the university system’s needs.

“It’s affordable, and that’s the most important thing — to hold down cost of a college degree for our kids. At last, we have a cap on campus-initiated tuition,” Bowles said.

The 6.5 percent amount represents the average annual tuition increase over the past 34 years. The cap will remain in place for four years before UNC officials review it for possible changes.

Students, who usually oppose votes on tuition increases by university administrators, backed the idea of a cap on increases.

“This plan will allow for students and their families to be able to plan financially for future increases and educational costs and send a clear message to lawmakers that they must fund the unmet needs of the university styem,” said Derek Pantiel, a senior at North Carolina Central University.

In addition to the proposed tuition cap, Bowles said he plans to ask the General Assembly to fund faculty pay raises for two years and $38 million for tuition assistance.

As a means of full disclosure (even though the tag-line of this blog does say this is an “Insider’s View” and this should be apparent) both Ryan and I were present at the UNC Association of Student Governments General Body meeting when the new tuition plan was discussed by students. It was discussed more in depth in the Government Affairs Committee, of which I am a member. Most, if not all, of the students at the ASG General Assembly meeting were in favor of the plan. It is reasonable, the rate isn’t too high and each time a campus does want to increase tuition it will be mandated to set aside 50% of whatever the increase is for faculty pay (so we can get a good education, of course) and financial aid for tuition.

Despite how The Daily Tar Heel makes the situation look and despite how hard they try to bash UNC campus Student Body Presidents and other student leaders, we didn’t walk away from talking about the tuition plan without voicing and recording our concerns (which were, of course, addressed with UNC System officials by ASG leaders).

Head over to the UNCG Campus Watch to read it in full