5 System Schools Consider Campus-Based Tuition Hikes

The WCU Board of Trustees will vote Dec. 11 on a $100 per semester tuition increase for both full-time in-state and out-of-state students.

Several other UNC schools are also considering tuition increases. Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State and Winston-Salem State universities also are considering individual-campus tuition increases.

UNC-CH officials have also begun a process to examine if a tuition increase is necessary at the University. The UNC-CH Board of Trustees is expected to act on a tuition proposal at its Jan. 24 meeting.

The campus-initiated tuition increases would come in addition to a possible inflationary systemwide tuition increase the UNC-system Board of Governors plans to consider next spring.

The BOG might re-examine its tuition policy in the next few months because 11 UNC-system schools, including UNC-CH, have asked the board for campus-initiated tuition increases in the last two years. This examination could affect the future of campus-initiated tuition increases.

Andrew Payne, UNC Association of Student Governments president, said Elizabeth City State, WSSU and Fayetteville State have never instituted campus-based tuition increases. Officials at the three UNC-system schools did not return phone calls Tuesday.

Richard Collings, WCU vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the increases will be effective next fall if they are approved. Collings said WCU officials decided not to ask for a tuition increase until officials were sure an increase would have a direct, positive impact on student academic life.

The increase, he said, would be used to convert part-time teaching positions into full-time professorships, specifically for freshman and sophomore classes.

Collings said students and faculty are having mixed reactions to the idea of a tuition increase.

Students are worried about the idea of a tuition increase as the nation's economy continues to decline, but some faculty members would rather see the creation of more tenure-track positions over regular teaching jobs, he said.

Payne said the possible tuition increases at the four campuses are unfortunate, but possibly necessary, to make sure all the UNC-system schools can provide a quality education. "Although the ASG is generally opposed to tuition increases, for the ones that haven't had them before, it would be unfair to deny them the right to raise rates."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.