FAYETTEVILLE — Student leaders from across the state met this weekend to discuss their role in future tuition decisions by the UNC-system Board of Governors.
Members of the UNC Association of Student Governments, which is funded by $1 in student fees from UNC-system schools, decided to form a special committee by Tuesday to develop ideas for revising the Four Year Tuition Plan.
The system’s Board of Governors is in the process of updating the plan, created in 2006 to make tuition more affordable and predictable for students. It set caps on campus-initiated tuition increases and laid out a framework for campuses to use the resulting revenue.
“The structure of tuition is changing,” said UNC-CH Student Body President Hogan Medlin. “ASG needs to take a stance on how we think students should be involved in the tuition decision.”
The committee will develop a written proposal to present to the board in October — a month before the board is expected to make an ultimate decision on revising the tuition plan that expires this year.
“Oct. 22 is my plan that the task force have something finalized on paper,” said ASG President Atul Bhula to fellow council members.
“At the next BOG meeting, I take that resolution and tell them this is how students feel about tuition,” he said.
The special committee, which is picked by the president and two other executive officers, is prompted to focus on what to do about a cap on tuition increases. The committee will also come up with solutions for recommendations that have been made to the board.
ASG Senior Vice-President Dakota Williams said that the council is focusing on adding student perspectives to the revisions.