T he North Carolina Board of Governors’ decision this summer to cap need-based aid will certainly damage UNC’s reputation for making college education accessible to lower-income students. The BOG should have made such a decision with the input of the student body. It should also establish a grassroots campaign to inspire private giving to offset the cuts.
The BOG is sending an alarming message to prospective students in its decision to set a cap. Many students are attracted to UNC because of its affordability — in February, for the 13th time in a row, Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine ranked UNC number one among U.S. public colleges and universities in its ability to provide quality education at an affordable price to in-state students. Last year, UNC put 20.9 percent of tuition toward need-based aid. The BOG is damaging UNC’s attractiveness to students who value its accessibility.
Perhaps more alarming is the manner in which this decision was made. The BOG’s decision to pass this resolution while students were gone for the summer seems intentional.
Many UNC students take pride in their university’s ability to bring together people from all walks of life. The Board’s decision reflects a discrepancy between their priorities and those of the student body.
The goal of the cap, according to the BOG, is to limit the costs passed down to tuition-paying students, thus mitigating tuition increases. UNC’s ability to provide need-based aid is dependent upon its ability to draw this money from other students. This squeeze is most apparent to students who occupy the gray area between needing financial help from the university and being financially independent.
To help fill this void, UNC should begin a grassroots effort to inspire private giving to further supplement tuition money going towards need-based aid. To do this, stakeholders must convince the BOG that UNC is a better place if their money goes toward both the school and the students that attend it. Such a message can only be sent if the Board enacts policy of this magnitude in full view of the students it will affect.
