Tuition hikes vary throughout system

University leaders have said next year’s tuition increases will maintain UNC-CH’s academic quality and attractiveness in the face of budget cuts.

But other UNC-system schools are attempting to attract students through smaller tuition increases.

In the past few weeks, system school administrators have been submitting tuition proposals for next year to their boards of trustees.

Once approved, schools’ proposals will go to the UNC-system Board of Governors in January, and the board will vote in February.

This spring, the board approved tuition and fees increases that averaged 8.8 percent systemwide.
On Thursday, UNC-CH’s Board of Trustees approved an increase of $509 — about 6.5 percent — increase for in-state graduate students and a $1,630 increase for out-of-state undergraduates and graduates — 6.1 and 6.8 percent, respectively.

A $600 increase for in-state undergraduate students had already been approved.

Last week, several other schools proposed tuition increases to submit to the Board of Governors.

UNC-Pembroke proposed a $199 tuition increase for all students — an increase of 6.6 percent and 1.6 percent for in-state and out-of-state undergraduates, respectively.

UNC-P Provost Ken Kitts said the school would like to maintain its current out-of-state student enrollment — one of the smallest in the system at 5 percent — and is planning to add an 18th graduate program soon.

The $199 increase amounts to 6.4 percent and 1.6 percent for in-state and out-of-state graduate students, respectively.

“Graduate instruction is becoming increasingly important to us,” he said. “One of the reasons for not identifying a higher (tuition) increase for graduates is in order to facilitate that growth.”

UNC-Greensboro is submitting a proposal to the board for an increase of $153 for all undergraduates next year, and an $175 increase for all graduate students, said UNC-G Vice Provost Alan Boyette.

As a result, in-state undergraduates’ and graduates’ tuition would be 4 percent higher than this year, and out-of-state undergraduates and graduates’ tuition would be 1 percent higher.

“The rationale for this approach is that we are seeking to enroll more nonresident students, and we don’t want higher tuition rates to present an obstacle to our recruitment success,” Boyette said.

He said out-of-state students accounted for about 9 percent of UNC-G’s freshman class this year. The Board of Governors caps out-of-state student enrollment at system schools at 18 percent of the student body.

In comparison, N.C. State University is proposing that out-of-state students pay an increase double the amount of the university’s in-state tuition increase.

The Board of Governor’s pre-approved increase for all in-state NCSU students is $290, and the university is proposing a $580 increase for out-of-state students, said Provost Warwick Arden.

Contact the desk editor at state@dailytarheel.com.