No one, we can safely assume, likes to see the price we pay for something go up. That may be especially true in difficult economic times such as these.

So we certainly understand the dismay some students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill expressed this week as the school's board of trustees recommended a 5.2 percent tuition increase for next year. At a time of near-zero inflation, and with many student and their families struggling, the increase seems hard to swallow.

But there are several factors to keep in mind.

First of all, in-state students should feel relatively relieved. For them, the tuition hike will be $200 a year, a relatively modest sum capped by the General Assembly.

We acknowledge that the flip side of that is that out-of-state students, who already pay substantially more, will pay another $1,127 a year. As they have in recent years, out-of-state students have raised the spectre that each increase puts Carolina out of reach for more students from elsewhere.

The university is greatly enriched by the talented and creative students it attracts from out of state, students who attest to the stellar reputation of UNC and who add to the overall student experience. And, of course, those out-of-state tuition bills add to the university's coffers.

It is the strain on those coffers that led trustees somewhat reluctantly to recommend the increase. Indeed, some thought the increase should be more aggressive, and an advisory task force had suggested a 6.5 percent increase.

The state's dismal financial picture has led to erosion in state support, and many worry about a decreased ability to recruit top faculty and to offer students the range and quantity of courses they expect.

We should note that many state university systems face far greater crises. The University of California system is facing a nearly one-third increase in the cost of attending their campuses. And the system faces devastating cuts beyond that.

While UNC campuses have felt the pain of the budgetary knife, a positive aspect of this has been President Erskine Bowles' push for greater efficiency and trimming of excessive bureaucracy in an effort to minimize the impact on instruction and research.

One factor that will cushion the tuition increases will be the university's continued commitment to one of the most aggressive student-aid programs. Indeed, part of the tuition increase will go toward student aid.

So while we understand dismay at the increase, there's little choice if we want to maintain the national prominence of our flagship public university.