Out-of-state students are facing a steep increase in tuition next year — unless the N.C. General Assembly repeals the decision made this summer to write the increases into the state budget.
UNC-system officials said during a policy discussion Thursday that they plan to ask the state legislature to repeal its decision to raise out-of-state tuition for most system schools by as much as 12.3 percent. Chancellors stressed to the UNC-system Board of Governors the negative effect such a sharp increase could have on their campuses.
“This is one of the last things we want to touch because quality of faculty and quality of students are what makes an institution strong, and we think this could have a serious effect,” UNC-CH Chancellor Carol Folt told the board. “We certainly know that we’d see a serious reduction in the number of applicants … They will say they think the cost of Carolina is too high.”
The increase would be 12.3 percent at UNC-CH, which would amount to $3,469. Tuition for out-of-state undergraduates at the University is currently $28,205.
In-state undergraduates across the system will not see a tuition increase next year, pending the board’s final approval.
Charlie Perusse, chief operating officer for the system, said to repeal the out-of-state tuition increase would require a legislative change because it’s written in the state budget.
System officials have drafted budget priorities — which include the repeal of the tuition increases — to present to the General Assembly in the short session, which starts in May.
Campuses have already submitted the tuition increase they would have recommended had the legislature not enacted the increase. UNC-CH administrators would have asked for a 2.5 percent — or $700 — increase for next year instead.
The state legislature had bypassed the board, which typically makes the final decision on tuition prices after reviewing campus requests.
