Tuition increases will hurt us too

In the past few weeks of debate concerning the tuition increase, people have been over-careful. Scared of offending the North Carolina residents, out-of-state opponents of the bill have tip-toed around the issue.

The proposed increase has settled on 5.2 percent for both in- and out-of-staters, which ostensibly is fair to both groups of students.

But the reality of nonresident’s $1,127-increased bill hits way too hard. And people have been afraid to argue the real reason why.

Let’s be real, people. I’m from Raleigh, and I shouldn’t be the first one to say this: The reason we shouldn’t financially punish out-of-staters is because they’re smarter than us.

Oh, snap.

Do you remember your college application? If you are from Fayetteville, your GPA and hard-earned SAT scores and the essay you wrote about your mission trip to Bolivia were put in a different pile than ones sent in from a senior in Colorado. Figuratively, anyway.

Nonresidents apply under a strict quota and are therefore held to much higher standards than the rest of us. Forty-three SAT points higher, to be exact.

Of course, then comes the age-old “SAT’s don’t measure intelligence” argument. In an online comment to a Daily Tar Heel article that quoted this statistic, user John Black said: “scoring 43 points higher on the SAT does not entitle you to moan and groan about how much ‘better’ you are in article after article. Maybe it’s just me, but I can not tell the difference among my friends who scored within 40 points of each other.”

Well, the admissions department certainly can. And while SAT performance might not be a good basis for choosing friends, it’s a great way to choose incoming freshmen.

Because when it comes down to it, you’d probably rather be lab partners with the genius from Maryland than the stoner from Greensboro.

Sure, we hate it when they ruin the curve in our chemistry class, but all in all, smart people are an asset to our school.

And I speak as an in-state student when I say that.

After all, isn’t that what this tuition-based protectionism has been about? Providing a quality education for its taxpayers? Well, listen up, General Assembly: Tuition caps on in-state students have the opposite effect. And if it came down to it, I’d rather pay more tuition than devalue my diploma.

If we dissuade nonresident students from attending the University, we will be doing just that.

Think about what a diploma means. In one sense, it’s like currency — only worth a lot when people believe in the backing behind it.

If a piece of paper from UNC-Chapel Hill means a solid education under the guidance of excellent professors and intelligent classmates, then employers will view it as such.

If not, then you might as well print out your credentials from a hokey online “university.”

It might be too late to save our nonresidents from this latest tuition hike, but the next time one is up for debate, North Carolinians should also speak out.

An attack on the wallets of those who raise the caliber of the University is an attack on us, too.

Opposing out-of-state tuition hikes: So easy, an in-stater could do it.