A tuition hike of $600 is already set for in-state undergraduates next year. Now University administrators must decide how much of the burden from state cuts out-of-state undergraduates will share.
Out-of-state students pay more to attend UNC, as they should for a state university. But administrators should not exploit that distinction by raising their tuition unreasonably.
A 6.5 percent tuition hike for out-of-state tuition — right at the cap set by the UNC-system Board of Governors on tuition increases — would be a much larger hike than for in-state students. And they are already paying almost four times as much.
The relationship UNC has with out-of-state students is different from its relationship with state residents. The commitment to keeping costs as “free”: http://www.ncleg.net/Legislation/constitution/article9.html “as practicable” in the state constitution extends only to North Carolinians.
By law, out-of-state students can only make up 18 percent of an admitted class. Administrators run up against that number every year, attracting more of the nation’s top students — and revenue.
But such talent is attracted in large part by the University’s commitment to affordability. And this talent provides innumerable benefits for the state.
Using out-of-state students for funding, particularly over time, would discourage them from applying. Both quality and affordability would suffer.
Ultimately, reducing costs and renewing the state’s role in the commitment to affordable education are necessary.
Until then, administrators should prioritize affordability. Exploiting the out-of-state status of 18 percent of students for funding is neither free nor practicable.
