Tuition increases at state colleges and university could be coming as Georgia battles a billion dollars budget shortfall next year.

In budget hearing Chancellor Errol Davis warned that a $385 million dollar cut can only be overcome by dramatically raising tuition for those students who are not currently looked in for 4 years.

“If you were to apply this to half of the student approximately," Davis told the committee, "it would require an increase of 77 percent in tuition."

Senator Seth Harp was not moved. He said the state has to stop the practice of locking in tuition and the University system has to cope.

"We absolutely do not have the money, we are through. We are at the bottom of the barrel," Harp warned. " Now, if you have to raise tuition to 77 percent, so be it," he said.

Davis says the University system can’t make further cuts to it's budget, which has already been reduced by 360 million dollars over the past 2 years.

Tags: education, lawmakers, Georgia budget, GPBnews, Errol Davis, Seth Harp