End of the (Flat) Line?

North Carolina has kept in-state tuition flat at its public universities for almost a decade, and UNC System President Peter Hans has touted that fact loudly and often. “No other state in the country can make that claim,” he said at an Assembly Newsmakers event in July.

But system officials are signaling that it may finally be time for a change.

“Strategic, inflation-aligned tuition increases are now necessary to preserve academic quality, student support, and institutional competitiveness,” Jennifer Haygood, the UNC System’s chief financial officer, wrote in a presentation to the Board of Governors’ Committee on Budget and Finance yesterday. She recommended allowing universities to raise in-state tuition by up to 3 percent.

The recommendation isn’t policy. Haygood’s presentation was just the first step in a months-long process. 

At their committee meeting yesterday and the full board meeting today, the Board of Governors sets parameters for tuition and fee proposals. Over the coming months, each system school will put together their proposals, which they will submit early next year for the Board of Governors to vote on in February. 

Because the UNC System guarantees that in-state students who are continually enrolled won’t see a tuition increase for eight semesters, any increases would only apply to new students.

Haygood also said tuition increase proposals will be reviewed to ensure that they are in line with inflation and sustain academic quality. Campuses requesting tuition boosts are also expected to have shown “restraint” in administrative spending and engaged in ongoing review and evaluation of academic programming.