Thousands of students are returning to area universities. They will be greeted by a variety of changes brought on by budget cuts.
Students spent the weekend moving into residence halls at UNC-Chapel Hill. A record number of them qualified for financial aid. An 18 percent budget cut - the largest in the university system - also forced UNC-Chapel Hill to limit class offerings and lay off faculty. The challenges are similar at NC State. A 16 percent budget cut forced the elimination of 600 jobs at the UNC system's largest school. About thirty-three thousand students started classes at State last week. The economy has led to many community colleges bursting at the seams. The enrollment at Wake Tech will top 19,000 students this fall for the first time in school history. Duke students will be the last to move in. The Class of 2015 arrives this week, with the rest of the students moving in before classes start August 29th.
