Amidst all the controversy swirling around the announcement that Nebraska would be joining the Big 10 at the Regents Board Meeting and subsequent press conference on June 11, another less glamorous story might have gotten lost.

That’s the announcement that came with the Regents’ approval of the 2010-2011 budget, which includes a 6 percent tuition increase for students across all four NU campuses. By adding between $135 and $170 per semester to student bills for in-state students taking 15 credit hours, $12 million of revenue will be raised to offset a $22 million budget shortfall caused by a relatively flat increase in state appropriations.

The increase is no shocking development – annual tuition bumps have become routine in recent years. A 4 percent increase was approved last year, and that was the lowest increase in more than a decade.

The budget passed nearly unanimously, with only Randy Ferlic of Omaha opposing, citing his unwillingness to burden students with debt.

Ferlic is right – this kind of continued pressure on students comes at an inconvenient time, in an uncertain economy with an unfriendly job market. Loan payments can burden students for years to come.

The work being done to strengthen student financial aid is admirable – increases in funding to College Bound Nebraska will help soften the blow – but a “cut from the top” mentality would be preferable to expecting students to shoulder the weight of the university’s debt.

NU is in the middle of a rough patch and UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman and NU President J.B. Milliken have made it clear that tough decisions abound. It’s just unfortunate that the best that can be done at this point is to make the prospect of a four-year college education even more unattractive to students.