THE BLUE BANNER
Tuition increases to affect out-of-state students
Stephen Case
scase@unca.edu - Staff Writer
UNC Asheville students can expect to
see an increase in either tuition or fees
for the upcoming school year after a
vote by the University of North Carolina
governing board next month.
“I am paying so much money right
now. When you are talking about
already paying $27,000, this is going to
affect me a lot,” said Carolina Arias, a
sophomore at UNC A and Costa Rica
native.
The board of governors for the
17-campus University of North Carolina
school system discussed the proposal at
a meeting on Jan. 9 and will vote on it
on Feb. 21.
While waiting to hear the fate of the
other UNC school system schools,
UNCA students already know the extra
expenses they will encounter going
forward because of a tuition and fees
plan that was approved unanimously by
the university’s board of trustees at its
Dec. 6 meeting.
According to university officials,
tuition will hold steady for the 2014-
15 academic year with in-state students
at UNCA. Tuition will remain $3,666
“I am paying so much
money right now.
When you are talking
about already paying
$27,000, this is going
to affect me a lot. I will
have to be working a
lot more. I think I will
have to change a few
things.”
- Carolina Arias,
sophomore at UNCA
per semester for undergraduate in-state
students, while out-of-state students
will be affected by the increase.
UNCA officials said tuition will rise
6 percent for out-of-state students. A
total of $ 1,049 in costs brings the non
resident tuition rate for undergraduates
to $18,537 annually. In-state students’
general and debt service fees will
increase by $151.
“It’s hard to find a solution that works
for everyone,” said Cynthia Vargas, a
senior at UNCA.
The small fees increase for in-state
students includes an education and
technology fee, a student health fee,
an athletic fee and a debt service fee,
according to UNCA officials.
Students like Arias said they already
feel they pay too much as an out-of-state
student and additional fees only add
more stress to an already stressed-out
college student.
“I will have to be working a lot more,”
Arias said. “I think I will have to change
a few things, like expenses outside of
college.”
Arias said she didn’t receive any
scholarship money, but her situation
may not reflect everyone’s experience.
“I applied for the Laurels Scholarship
and was turned down. It really made me
mad because I had a 3.8 GPA in high
school,” Arias said.
Officials in the admissions and
financial aid offices said they are
determined to help students find a
solution to this growing issue.
“At this time, there will be no charges
in admissions in regards to a tuition
increase, and we will continue to recruit
students in the same manner,” said
Shannon Earle, senior director of
admissions and financial aid.
Even with the increases, UNCA
ranks as one of the nation’s best values
in public universities. According
to “Kiplinger’s Personal Finance”
magazine, UNCA places sixth in lowest
total cost of attending for in-state
students and eighth lowest average debt
among graduates in North Carolina.
Arias said she doesn’t understand why
the school is spending so much money
doing renovation work on the campus
when it already looks good.
“1 don’t see a lot of difference,” Arias
said. “The caf is getting completely
renovated, too.”
Even with the extra tuition costs,
students said they wonder if their
education is being hindered by budget
cuts. Vargas said she noticed a drop off
for the last year in the amount of classes
offered in her program, while at the
same time, she sees an increase in the
number of students in her classes.
“It seems like the teachers are getting
more classes than before,” Vargas said.
“I noticed in my management classes
before there were like 13 or 14 students.
Now there are like 20 or more.”
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