This week Board of Regents Chancellor Errol Davis warned lawmakers that one way to weather the $185 million in proposed cuts would be to raise tuition at Georgia’s 35 public colleges and universities.

After last year’s reductions of more than $200 million the Regents upped tuition by $1,000 a semester for students attending research schools like the University of Georgia.

Christy McGee is a second year public relations major at UGA. She says she’s already noticed fallout from the earlier cuts in the form of overcrowded classrooms and worries another bump in tuition will mean paying even more for even less.

"There were like 10 students in every class who didn’t have seats so they just sat on the ground and that shouldn’t be happening."

James Gilliland is a freshman in UGA’s public relations school. He worries higher tuition paired with the uncertain future of the HOPE Scholarship program could make life more difficult.

"I just feel like it’d be harder to pay for everything as far as the school and books and rent and everything all at once. It will just be more overwhelming to do."

The HOPE Scholarship may face restrictions next year as lawmakers will try to find ways to protect the popular program from running out of money.

Any increase in tuition would have to be approved by the Regents once the state budget is finalized.

Tags: University of Georgia, Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, Georgia HOPE scholarships, tuition hike, Chancellor Errol B. Davis