HALIFAX--Students were shocked to find out tonight from media sources that the government will be adopting the recommendation from the Report on the University System in Nova Scotia written by former bank vice-president Tim O'Neill to increase tuition fees at a capped rate. The government will implement a tuition fee increase of three percent."Students and their families were promised a better deal when the NDP was elected," said Gabe Hoogers, Nova Scotia Representative of the Canadian Federation of Students. "Instead, the NDP government is using the O'Neill report to justify funding cuts and tuition fee hikes, policies they previously condemned."The current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between university presidents and the Department of Education that ensures stable funding to universities and a tuition fee freeze expires March 31, 2011. Students were told in a letter from the Minister of Advanced Education, Marilyn More, dated January 10 that the government would be conducting some form of negotiations regarding a new funding agreement.On Friday students were invited to a briefing with Minister More, scheduled for tomorrow at 12:30pm on "announcements the government will make later in the day, around university funding and student assistance".Students in Nova Scotia currently pay some of the highest tuition fees in the country and graduate with the highest student debt, at $31, 000. A recent public opinion poll found that 83 percent of Nova Scotians support reducing tuition fees."By increasing tuition fees Darrell Dexter is not only turning his back on students, but the vast majority of Nova Scotians who support reducing fees," said Hoogers.This Wednesday students will take the streets for the province-wide Reduce Fees-Drop Debt Student Day of Action to call on the government to reduce tuition fees and drop student debt.