NC State Board of Trustees Approves Chancellor’s Tuition and Fees Recommendations

In the wake of an uncertain economy and reductions in state funding, the North Carolina State University Board of Trustees today approved Chancellor Randy Woodson’s recommendations for tuition and fee increases for the 2013-14 academic year.

The board approved tuition increases of $290, or about 5.1 percent, for in-state undergraduates and $290, or about 4.2 percent, for in-state graduate students. The board also approved tuition increases of $580, or about 3.1 percent, for out-of-state undergraduate and graduate students.

The chancellor’s tuition recommendations are substantially lower than those recommended by the university’s Tuition Review Advisory Committee (TRAC). That committee, co-chaired by Provost Warwick Arden and Student Body President Andy Walsh and comprised of faculty, staff and students, recommended to Woodson tuition increases of $374, or 6.5 percent, for in-state undergraduates and $748 for in-state graduate students and all out-of-state students.

“The budget shortfalls faced by state governments around the country reflect the financial challenges facing families across our state,” Woodson said. “Providing a world-class education that opens the doors to opportunity and long-term success remains our task. We must remain committed to keeping that education as affordable as practical.”

In-state undergraduate tuition would be $6,038 for the 2013-14 academic year, while in-state graduate tuition would be $7,173. Out-of-state undergraduate tuition would be $19,493 and out-of-state graduate students would pay $19,511 in tuition.

A little more than 62 percent of the tuition increase will improve quality and accessibility by adding seats and sections. About 25 percent of the tuition increase will support need-based financial aid. A little less than 9 percent will provide funding to the graduate student support plan, and a little more than 4 percent will support promotional increases for faculty.

Also upon the chancellor’s recommendation, the board approved increasing fees by $128.60 for all students in the 2013-14 academic year. For those fees subject to the Board of Governors’ 6.5 percent cap, the increase is 5.7 percent and the overall fee increase will be 6.3 percent. For undergraduates taking a full class load of 12 or more credit hours the increase would equal $2,168.15. Fees for graduate students taking a full course load of nine or more credit hours would total $2,179.15. Students pursuing fewer credit hours pay less in fees.

The Fee Review Committee, co-chaired by Dr. Mike Mullen, vice chancellor and dean for the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, and Regan Gatlin, president of the Student Senate, recommended increases for a number of important campus projects, including indebtedness fees for the new Talley Student Center and the expansion of the Carmichael Gym Complex.

“I want to thank both committees for their diligent and thoughtful work,” Woodson said. “Committee members carefully considered the impact tuition and fee increases have on our students and our campus community.”

The board also accepted the chancellor’s recommendation to approve so-called premium tuition increases for students in certain academic programs in the Poole College of Management, the College of Design and the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.

Premium tuition was approved for the graduate certificate in biosciences management in the Poole College of Management and the master’s degree program in financial mathematics in the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. Some programs in the College of Design already charging premium tuition had those premiums increased.

“These specialized programs cost more to teach and administer, but they also have high value in the workplace,” Woodson said.

The proposed campus tuition and fee increases still require approval from the University of North Carolina system and the N.C. General Assembly.

The chancellor noted that maintaining both quality academic programs and affordability – the measures highlighted by NC State’s numerous national best-value rankings – is a delicate balancing act.

“We have made every effort to avoid shifting the burden onto the shoulders of our students,” Woodson said. “Our strategic plan helps us identify ways to achieve the balance between quality and affordability and positions us for increased efficiency and effectiveness, but we also must continue to pursue growing our endowment in order to increase financial aid and stabilize costs for our students. It is critical to our mission that we do not sacrifice quality, but it is also in our nature as a land-grant institution that we remain accessible to those with the ability and motivation to pursue a degree.”

– kulikowski –