Hikes went to growth, hiring, aid

UNC-system schools used the more than $112 million in revenue they collected last year from campus-based tuition increases and growth funding to hire and retain full-time faculty and to increase student aid.

Members of the UNC system’s governing body will refer to that fact today as they start discussing next year’s tuition rates.

“The chancellors did a great job of understanding and adhering to the (UNC-system Board of Governors’) directive,” said Jeff Davies, the system’s vice president for finance.

The board enlisted Davies to help investigate the allocations of tuition and growth revenue at each system school. He released a report this week that outlines the allocation of the revenue at each system school.

Members wanted to ensure that universities were using the funds to increase class offerings and to decrease class size. They also noted the need for more permanent faculty at system schools.

UNC-Chapel Hill received a total of $18.7 million in combined appropriations from a campus-based tuition increase and enrollment growth.

The University’s tuition revenue totaled $14.1 million after in-state students paid an additional $250 this year and out-of-state students experienced a $1,500 increase in tuition.

The revenue from the tuition hike was used to increase faculty salaries and financial aid, said Steve Allred, executive associate provost for the University.

“For UNC-Chapel Hill this past year, the role of campus-based tuition is crucial in student support, but also in faculty support,” he said.

About $5.69 million from tuition revenue was put toward faculty salaries, $625,000 was used to up the pay for teaching assistants and $763,818 went toward fringe benefits. A little more than $4.72 million was put toward student aid.

Allred said that without a campus-based tuition increase, UNC-CH never would have been able to obtain the resources it needed for faculty and students.

He said that now it is up to the University’s Board of Trustees to determine whether or not the campus needs to increase tuition for the 2005-06 academic year.

But BOG Chairman Brad Wilson spoke out last month against tuition increases of any kind, saying the UNC system should take a break and examine other options, such as tuition certainty.

He said he wants students and parents to be able to predict what a college education is going to cost.

UNC-CH trustees are expected to finalize a proposal that outlines their tuition requests on Jan. 26 to send to the BOG. They will consider three requests from the University’s Tuition Task Force: $350 for residents and $800 for nonresidents; $300 for residents and $1,000 for nonresidents; and $250 for residents and $1,200 for nonresidents.

“It’s, of course, completely up to the BOT and individual members if a campus-based increase is warranted,” Allred said.

And once the trustees have made a proposal, the BOG will face the task of deciding what is best for the students.

“That has been the challenge that the board has had in recent history as the university overall has dealt with budget reductions and tuition increases — to ensure the cost of education against the quality of education,” Davies said.

The report also states that UNC-CH raked in $4.6 million this year by enrolling 519 more students than last year. Allred said this money was distributed among the professional schools and departments according to their growth.

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.