Protesters march to protest UNC cost increases

[Joanne98]

Source: ABC

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina university students are protesting against rising education costs they say are forcing them to borrow more, work more and causing some of their classmates to drop out.

About 20 students marched in Chapel Hill on Friday to the building where the University of North Carolina board earlier approved tuition and fee increases for next fall.

Student Laurel Ashton of Asheville says spiraling higher education costs mean she will have to spend more time working at a deli and a second job, and to take out more loans that will put her under financial stress after she graduates.

The protesters met with UNC system president Tom Ross, who said leaders are doing their best to keep college affordable in the face of state budget cuts.




Read more: http://www.wlos.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.nc/2fde3029-www.wlos.com.shtml

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

1. Just to be clear to those who are not familiar with the UNC system

that there are 16 schools in the University of North Carolina system - these include the UNC-(insert city here) schools, as well as the North Carolina School of the Arts, NC A&T, Appalachian State, and NC State.

This protest is not just for UNC-Chapel Hill; down the road from me, students at UNC-Wilmington are protesting as well, as are the students at all other UNC system institutions.

[Joanne98]

2. Good for them. They need our support.

The cost of college is an outrage!

[groundloop]

3. People need to be made aware of the effects of budget cuts to higher education.

Georgia is going to be in the same situation. Our new governor is proposing across the board budget cuts as well as cuts to the HOPE scholarship, while at the same time proposing a 1/3 cut to corporate income taxes.