The UNC Board of Governors lifted its nearly decade-long tuition freeze, allowing universities to raise rates for the first time since 2017.
The idea of raising tuition has been controversial for UNC BOG members and university trustees alike. Some – like BOG member Art Pope and UNC-Chapel Hill trustee Marty Kotis – argue tuition should stay flat to align with the state constitution to provide higher education as "free as practicable."
Ultimately, the majority of the UNC Board of Governors decided to raise tuition in a Thursday vote.
"This decision today to allow for a raise in tuition for the first time in almost a decade is not a rubber stamp," said BOG Chair Wendy Murphy during the meeting. "It may have been in the past, but there was a common theme at our committee meetings yesterday – efficiencies, best practices, and accountability."
On average, universities will increase tuition for undergraduate students by $125 (in-state) and $983 (nonresident) and up it for graduate students by $186 (in-state) and $580 (nonresident).
After a contentious UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees debate on whether to raise tuition at all, students at UNC-Chapel Hill will experience some of the steepest increases.
Starting with next year's incoming class, in-state undergraduate Tar Heels will pay over $200 more and out-of-state $4,300 more per year. UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC Charlotte were the only two schools in the System to choose to raise their nonresident undergraduate rate by 10%.
Elsewhere in the Triangle, in-state undergraduate students will pay nearly $200 more in tuition each year at NC State and about $100 more at NC Central. Out-of-state students will pay about $900 more and $500 more, respectively. All three of the universities will also raise their fees.
State law bars four UNC System institutions from setting their own undergraduate tuition rates. Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, UNC Pembroke, and Western Carolina are NC Promise institutions, which means their undergraduate tuition is set by the General Assembly.
In an October Senate Bill, the NC General Assembly raised NC promise tuition for out-of-state undergraduates by $1,000. Those students will now pay $3,500 in tuition per semester.
NC Promise institutions are, however, allowed to raise their graduate tuition rates. Only one university – Fayetteville State – opted to do so. In-state students will pay $250 more and out-of-state students $900 more.
The UNC System estimates its tuition increases will generate more than $44 million for the state's public universities. More than half of that revenue will be concentrated in the Triangle, at about $26 million.
Administrators say they plan to use the funds to hire more faculty, ease state and federal budgetary pressures, and address deferred maintenance.
WUNC partners with Open Campus and NC Local on higher education coverage.
