<p>Not sure about the second two, since I am not a student, but as an NC resident, I can tell you that the legislature here is VERY protective of the UNC-system, and while there may be some budget cuts, the tuition hikes have been nothing in comparison to what all the students were protesting in California, because as a whole, higher education is still pretty well funded in NC. </p>
<p>Also, while NC is in a deficit situation, we are nowhere near the crisis mode that California, NY, and some other states are.</p>