Yesterday, tuition was increased more than ever in the state of Arizona.

This increase is about public relations. But everyone thought the increase was to solve budget problems.

Good, right?

Hard budget times, right?

No.

See, students won't see the fruits of this $1,000 increase. Administrators will. Regents will. Students won't.

This increase is about public relations. Arizona got a D minus on accessibility, and now the guys in suits running the universities can say they've done something to try and fix it.

Realize, this increase was not about improving the university or the quality of education. It was not about being fair; nor was it about solving budget problems.

This was about image.

More than half the increase will go to financial aid, rather than making things better on the home front.

The lobbyists will argue that money must go to financial aid because regents mandate that at least 14 percent go in that direction. But the regents don't mandate that more than half be used to pay for the increase.

No one was forced to support this philosophy of redistribution, with tuition being increased to pay for, well, increasing it.

Of course, President Pete Likins has been pushing for this since he laid his feet on Arizona soil, but now, with a failing state economy, he has been able to persuade regents and students to support the increase.

But there was no reason for most students to support it. They won't see the benefits. And there was no reason for faculty or department heads to support it. It won't cure brain drain.

Still, everyone thought the increase was proposed to solve budgetary problems incited by cuts.

But even Likins was honest about that. He admitted the increase was about "accessibility."

Nevertheless, candidates for student government and people all around this university have said they support the increase "given the problems with the budget."

Yesterday, regents missed the opportunity to set a fair, gradual increase that would help this institution, not make themselves look like Robin Hoods.

Opinions are determined by the Wildcat opinions board and written by one of its members. They are Daniel Scarpinato, Jessica Lee, Jose Ceja, Jennifer Duffy, Brett Fera, Erik Flesch, Caitlin Hall, Jessica Suarez and Kendrick Wilson.