The state budget hasn’t been finalized yet, but the University system is already bracing for a bump in tuition.

Cash strapped students are worried because that budget will determine how much tuition is going to go up for next year’s school year.

While the legislature crams to get a new state budget approved by next week’s deadline, Georgia students will be studying the numbers closely.

University of Georgia President Michael Adams said Thursday students should expect a small tuition hike next year.

Once a budget is finalized, the state Board of Regents will have a better idea of how high they’ll have to set tuition.

Emily LoBianco is a University of Georgia sophomore. She says any increase in tuition would put her and her family in a really tough spot financially:

“It would probably be very hard, I know right now, my family’s been having a tough year, in August my brother passed away and a couple months later, my Dad lost his job so it’s been very stressful. Any more [tuition hikes] is going to be very hard. It’s come down to me trying to figure out how to do it all.”

Earlier this year, Chancellor Hank Huckaby promised that any tuition hikes, if proposed, would be modest.

Tags: University of Georgia, Board of Regents, Tuition hikes, parker wallace