Editor’s note: Payne was a member of the UNC Board of Governors from 2000 to 2002.

This week, the Tuition Advisory Committee will vote on a proposal to increase tuition at N.C. State by 3.6 percent for most undergraduate and graduate students for the 2009-2010 academic year. According to Provost Larry Nielsen, “tuition increases are necessary to provide quality education.”

This is a laughable statement considering a tuition hike would mostly fund faculty salary increases, like the 88 percent raise given earlier this year to First Lady Mary Easley for running a speaker series. The plan would increase tuition at State by $140 for in-state undergraduates and all graduate students and $280 for out-of-state undergraduates.

First, the bad news. The tuition increase proposal is supported by the administration, Student Body President Jay Dawkins and Technician, which voiced some support for the plan in Monday’s editorial “Tuition proposal a small victory for students.” With this support, the proposal is likely to win approval at the campus level.

But that brings us to the good news. Members of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and the University’s leadership are working on a plan to freeze tuition or a small increase across the board for the upcoming academic year. Their plan would put a stop to the University’s campus-based tuition increase as well as those of the other 15 system schools.

Why are members of the BOG at odds with campus leaders over tuition increases? They know a tuition increase is the wrong message to send to North Carolina families, considering the nation’s current fiscal crisis. A tuition increase would be a slap in the face to the people of this state, especially when so many are unable to afford basic commodities and are being forced from their homes every day. Fortunately for us, the leaders of the University know and understand this.

UNC President Erskine Bowles knows firsthand about Wall Street’ s credit problems – he sits on financial giant Morgan Stanley’s board of directors. During the past year, Morgan Stanley has lost nearly 62 percent of its stock value, causing the company to sell a 21 percent stake to Japan’s Mitsubishi Financial Group. That’ s on top of a $5 billion infusion from the Chinese government. But all of this did not stop Morgan Stanley’ s board from paying their CEO more than $190 million during the past five years as the company began to falter.

Bowles is a champion for low tuition. He appreciates the financial struggle facing so many North Carolinians. That’s why, despite the support of the provost, the Student Body President, the Tuition Advisory Committee and Technician – the campus-based tuition increase will ultimately fail. Like so many others students, I am thankful to the leadership of the UNC system for considering a tuition freeze.

We need more students entering the halls of our great University, not less. Despite the administration’ s rhetoric – tuition increases do not equal a quality education. A quality education begins at the doors of the NC General Assembly. They are the body charged with the responsibility of adequately funding the university, not the student body.

Let’s be thankful Bowles is a better president than he is a banker.

E-mail Andrew your thoughts a tuition freeze to [email protected].