In the wake of record state budget cuts, North Carolina's public universities are bracing for an angst-ridden debate over tuition increases this year - with some large hikes under consideration. At UNC Chapel Hill, trustees soon will consider a tuition and fees hike of as much as $2,800 for in-state undergraduates, a 40 percent increase if enacted in one year. N.C. State University is looking at a $330 increase for its N.C. undergrads and $660 for other students, though it could look at a bigger hike. Officials at UNC Charlotte and some other state schools say they're still hashing out their tuition proposals. The debates are usually intense, but could be even more so this year. For the past few years, the UNC system has instituted a 6.5 percent cap on tuition and fee increases at the public universities.
