The Association of Student Governments (ASG) voted last weekend to support UNC President Thomas Ross’s 2012-13 tuition increase recommendation: an average, system-wide tuition and fees increase of 8.8 percent for in-state undergraduates.

ASG President Atul Bhula sent the UNC Board of Governers a letter detailing ASG’s support Tuesday morning.

The student body presidents of all 17 UNC System institutions signed the letter, which said the plan offers “the flexibility needed to best serve the University’s individual campuses and their varying needs.”

Ross’s recommendation also included a proposal for an average 4.2 percent increase in tuition and fees for 2013-14.

ASG felt Ross’s recommendation was a reasonable compromise between the need for affordable education and the need to maintain adequate funding, Bhula said.

“Other groups generally say, ‘No, I don’t want this. No, I don’t want that,’ but don’t necessarily give a rationale or an alternative solution as to why,” Bhula said. “We believe that President Ross has done that and has tried to stay under that four-year plan as much as possible for the next two years.”

The four-year plan Bhula referenced is a guideline set by the Board of Governers, which seeks to cap both tuition and fee increases at 6.5 percent.

The ASG letter said Ross’s recommendation preserved three main priorities: affordability, accessibility and quality of education.

Under Ross’s recommendation, Appalachian’s current proposed tuition and fees increase of 9.3 percent would not change. The recommendation also proposed a 3.1 percent increase in tuition for 2013-14.

“It is a North Carolina law to provide education at an affordable rate and President Thom Ross’s plan allows North Carolina families and students the opportunity to not only receive that affordable education without the massive and sudden increases in tuition, but it also grants them the ability to plan for college long-term,” Student Body President Lauren Estes said.

Estes said Ross’s recommendation keeps both students and families in mind.

“He understands that stability for the overall cost of higher education is a plan that will allow families to plan financially for the growing cost of higher education,” she said.

The Board of Governors will consider Ross’s recommendation at its Feb. 10 meeting, during which it will decide on tuition rises for each institution in the system.

Until then, Bhula said he and other members of ASG will continue to voice student concerns to individual members of the board.

Story: HANK SHELL, News Editor