WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — The board of trustees at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington has voted to recommend tuition and fee increases that would see in-state undergraduates paying more than $600 a year more for school.

In a statement, the board said the increases are needed to maintain academic quality at a time of falling financial support from the state. The state Legislature cut more than $16 million from university funding this year, resulting in a loss of nearly 80 faculty positions and over 500 course sections.

Chancellor Gary Miller says the proposed increases will help restore some positions and courses.

The proposal now goes before the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, which oversees public colleges and universities. Other public schools are seeking tuition and fee hikes this year.