The student fee advisory subcommittee postponed Friday a vote on a $45 increase to the athletic fee, citing a desire for the increase’s revenue to be devoted entirely to scholarships, not the Olympic sports programs.
The athletic department originally proposed a $90 increase to the current $274.50 annual fee to provide revenue for student athlete scholarships and funding for the Olympic sports programs.
After cutting the fee increase proposal in half at the request of many concerned with the cost, department officials decided that the $45 fee increase would only be used to support the Olympic sports programs.
But committee members said Friday that they would rather have the revenue support scholarships alone.
In 2010, the N.C. General Assembly eliminated the tuition waver that allowed out-of-state student athletes on full scholarships to receive in-state tuition.
Chancellor Holden Thorp said he agreed with the committee.
“The best thing for the athletic program would be to give all of it to scholarships,” Thorp said. “I think that’s a good idea.”
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Bruce Carney said he was also in favor of the decision.
“I’m always in favor of scholarships, frankly,” Carney said.
