The UNC system's Board of Governors approved tuition increases for all schools in the North Carolina system on March 6.

The board said that its purpose is to ensure students who want to attend these schools the access. If approved by the legislature, the 8 percent increase for students from North Carolina, and the 12 percent increase for all out-of-state students will go into effect this fall.

According to a March 6 Herald-Sun story, increases are much higher than the 4.8 percent increase that was discussed by the system board's budget and finance committee in earlier months.

There will be about 7,500 incoming students to the university system this fall and the legislature has said that funding is just not there.

N.C. Central University's in- state tuition will increase by 24 percent,from $1,272 to $1,574. Out-of-state tuition will go from $9,194 to $10,497, a 14 percent increase.

On top of these increases, NCCU and will also raise tuition another $200 to raise money for academic needs.

"Giving all of the budgetary and physical problems that we're having in the state with budget cuts, this for us certainly will help the university to be able to try and accomplish some of the things that it wants to accomplish," said Walter Harris, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs for NCCU.

"Our funding will be used to improve the library resources and holdings on campus, the scientific laboratories and equiptment and then a part of it will be used for financial aid for the more needy student."

The board also approved increases for other UNC system campuses that had not been targeted for increases. Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, N.C. School of the Arts, Western Carolina and Winston-Salem State University will all receive a $200 tuition increase that will help their respective campuses.

According to a Herald-Sun story, the board fretted as they approved these increases unanimously. The system needs $80 million for enrollment costs for the upcoming year and these increases will give them half of that amount.

The board also discussed specific schools' needs and how much they should be allotted. N.C. State and UNC-Chapel Hill first requested $400 increases but when the board voted, it was a tie. Then they voted on the $300 increase and that vote was more one-sided at 22-4.

Other schools that submitted increases of $400 were East Carolina, UNC-Charlotte and UNC-Greensboro. They had to settle for $250 increases instead.

According to a Hearald-Sun report, some board members said that raising tuition is not the way to fund enrolment.

Ray Farris, a board member out of Charlotte said that this is not the role of the Board of Governors.

"Funding enrolment by tuition increases is the General Assembly's responsibility," he said.

Other board members such as Robert Warwick from Wilmington said that this is the only way. "Without the money they can't come," he said.

"They deserve the same quality that the other 165,000 students in the universities receive now."

To some, the way the money will be distributed seems a bit unfair. The money gained from all the schools across the board will be given to the schools that have the greatest enrollment need.

That means the larger schools like N.C. State and UNC-Chapel Hill will be funding students on smaller campuses.

Bridget Sain, a senior at UNC-Chapel said that she doesn’t agree. “Even though this will not affect me, I think that it is unfortunate that our increases will go toward other campuses.”

Many of the board members said that this system is good because everyone will eventually get something from it.

Jim Phillips, a board member from Greensboro told the Herald-Sun that every year some get more than others.