When the University’s electronic tuition bills became available in late July, an additional $750 increase came as a shock to students anticipating 5.2 percent hike.
But with treacherous financial waters on the horizon, many administrators said this year’s state budget provision allowing for a supplemental increase of as much as $750 came as a lifeboat for none other than the UNC student.
Without respective tuition costs of $4,815 and $23,430 for in- and out-of-state students, officials said UNC would have resorted to 8 percent cuts to recoup deficits from last year.
And academic quality would not have been spared.
“For us to take that kind of hit, we would have had to cut programs,” said Dick Mann, vice chancellor for finance and administration, of the overall cut of about $26 million. Adding $750 to the expected 5.2 percent increase of $200 for in-state students and $927 for out-of-state students was “the only way we could make sure that the cuts to academic programs could be reimbursed,” Mann said.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Bruce Carney said the 24.6 percent hike for in-state students and 7.7 percent hike for out-of-state students rendered moot the traditional cap of 6.5 percent. But it has preserved course offerings and limited class sizes in a third consecutive year of salary freezes for the vast majority of employees. Only professors at risk of leaving for another university will be eligible for raises under a new fund intended to retain faculty members.
Support services, administrative functions and capital projects, however, will not be protected, as this year’s 5 percent cut compounds the crippling 10 percent budget cut last year.
And if next year’s projected $3 billion cut from the overall state budget of $19 billion takes effect, Mann said cuts could be reminiscent of the ones in 2009-10, jeopardizing UNC’s ability to function efficiently.
“At some point, we will become less able to do what we are supposed to do,” Mann said.
