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Out-of-Staters Cross Fingers Over N.C. Budget
The Debate Continues:
How Will Tuition Hikes
Affect UNC’s Well-Being?
BY MICHELLE CRAMPTON
STAFF WRITER
Good weather, a national academic reputation and good basketball
teams are all factors that help UNC recruit the cream of the out-of-state
student crop.
But in the modem day ofhigher education, when annual costs can easily
soar above $20,000, nothing is more of a lure than a four-figure tuition.
A raise in UNC’s tuition, perhaps more than any other aspect of Gov.
Jim Hunt’s proposed budget, has students, faculty and staff wincing,
whining and crossing their fingers as the N.C. General Assembly will
decide the fate of his budget this summer.
The Hunt budget bodes poorly for faculty, who could see salary hikes of
only 2 percent, which is less than the cost of living increase. Hunt’s plan
also calls for a 3.1 percent increase in in-state tuition in the next year.
But, for some, the real stickler is out-of-state tuition hikes, which would
jump 30 percent in the next
three years.
These proposed changes
trigger a number of ques
tions about the future of the
University, from tuition’s
effect on graduate students
and the subsequent effect on
undergraduate teaching to
UNC’s national reputation
as a “best buy,” to the
school’s ability to attract
the best and brightest out
of-state students, a key to
the University's success.
Hunt’s motivations be
hind the plan seem dear. He
needs to find ways to add
revenue to the state budget
to pay for programs while
not charging his constitu
ents, making out-of-staters
the natural target for cost
increases.
Rep. Joe Hackney, D-
Orange, said that although
a substantial backing in the
legislature agreed with the
proposal, work was being
done to fight the plan. The
final decision is expected to
be made in June or July.
“There’s a loose coalition
of pro-university legislators, and we know who each other are," he said.
UNC Provost Richard McCormick said he thought Hunt’s plan was
designed to please his constituents, with little regard to out-of-staters who
don’t vote here.
“The proposals affecting out-of-state tuition are designed to appeal to
North Carolinians who don’t believe their tax dollars should go to educat
ing those who were not raised here,” he said.
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It’s no surprise that in recent years U.S. News & World Report deemed
UNC one of the nation’s best buys for a quality college education. In-state
tuition, at about $1,400, is comparable to the amount many students pay
for car insurance each year.
And even though out-of-state tuition is significantly higher, at $8,400,
it still is lower than many other comparable state schools and much less
than top private colleges.
IfHunt's budget plan is passed, however, some faculty believe its effects
could be devastating to the University’s national reputation.
They explain that falling out of the “best buy” status and the inability to
compete with other universities for the top students arepossiblesideeffects
of the plan.
“It will continue an unhealthy downward slide,” said Faculty Council
Chairwoman Jane Brown, a professor of journalism and mass communi
cation. “We won’t be attracting the best out-of-state students and possibly
even some of the in-state best.”
Anthropology Professor Jim Peacock agreed that UNC’s stature could
suffer because of the plan.
“The University has a reputation as a beacon for the South, as a place
to get a top education,” Peacock said. “It certainly will diminish its
attractiveness. Out-of-state tuition is creeping up higher than some of our
See TUITION, Page 6
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“The University has a
reputation as a beacon of the
South, as a place to get a top
education. It certainly will
diminish its attractiveness. ”
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nSf ralli ® and J n Polk Plac ®.Thursday to voice their opposition to Gov. Jim Hunt's budget, which includes a 30 percent tuition increasTfo™
out-of-state students in the next three years. The proposal s adversaries have also driven to Raleigh to urge the N.C. General Assembly to support their cause.
Out-of-Staters Are Worth More Than Dollar Signs
BY SARAH YOUSSEF
STAFF WRITER
North Carolina’s 1776 state constitu
tion declares, “A school or schools shall be
established by the legislature for the conve
nient instruction of youth, with such sala
ries to the masters, paid by the public, as
may enable them to instruct at low prices. ”
It was this philosophy that governed the
University in 1857-58, when out-of-state
students composed one-third of the stu
dent body.
Out-of-State Tuition
under Gov. Jim Hunt's proposed budget $lO 920
Sr,,,'
1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98
SOURCE GOV HUNT'S PRESS OFFICE Dra/CHRIS ANDERSON
Honors Program Could Feel Sting From Budget
40 Percent of the Students
In the Program Come From
Outside North Carolina
BYGREGKAUSS
ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR
Gov. Jim Hunt’s proposed out-of-state
tuition hike of 30 percent in three years
could impact nearly every aspect of cam
pus life as out-of-state high school students
consider whether UNC is still worth their
money.
For one segment of campus society
one that is about 40 percent out-of-state—
the effects could be especially profound.
That element is the Honors Program,
which has about twice the percentage of
out-of-state students as the University as a
whole.
And at a time when the campus
reaccreditation self-study report has re
cently decried the lack of University sup
port for intellectualism, a possible decline
in the quality of the Honors Program be
cause of fewer talented out-of-state stu
dents could be yet another blow to the
University’s academic image.
Stuart Elaine MacDonald, assistant
dean for the Honors Program, said the
Today, out-of-staters make up only 18.7
percent of the undergraduate population,
yet their tuition is nearly six times as much
as in-state students. And under Gov. Jim
Hunt’scontroversialbudgetproposal, out
of-state tuition would increase even more
3O percent in the next three years.
Legislators and administrators must
find a way to keep tuition down for the
children of taxpayers without shifting the
financial burden to out-of-state students.
Somewhere, a sacrifice has to be made.
The dilemma ultimately rests on the
University’s tradition of combining aca
demic excellence and relatively low tu
ition could be compromised by the
governor’s proposed plan.
That, she said, could make it more
difficult for UNC to compete with other
top schools to get high-quality, out-of
state students. “The top-notch students
are highly sought after by many colleges, ”
MacDonald said.
Greg Braun, a freshman from Geneva,
N.Y., and a member of the Honors Pro
gram Student Advisory Board, agreed that
the tuition hike could have an effect on the
Honors Program. But he said he wasn’t
too sure how noticeable an influence the
increase would have.
“1 think the increase in tuition will have
a small effect on the prospective out-of
state students in that it may keep prospec
tive honors students, for whom the Hon
ors Program was the clinching factor in
their decision to come to Carolina, from
being able to afford going out of state as
they would have in the past,” Braun said.
The increase in tuition for out-of-staters
could be attributed to a perception about
the role of out-of-state students at state
schools. “I think sometimes people not
directly involved with education think of
out-of-state students as a luxury for a state
university,” MacDonald said.
answer to this question: Just how much do
out-of-state students contribute to UNC
and to North Carolina?
If diversity, a quality faculty, student
leadership and a national reputation are the
standards by which universities are judged,
then out-of-state students contribute more
than just money.
“They’re bright; they’re active in cam
pus politics; they run for office, receive a lot
of awards and move on to grad school,”
said Thad Beyle, a political science profes
sor. “In general, they provide a good mix
She said she thought having out-of-state
students improved UNC all around. “Ithink
it’s very important for the students of UNC
that they be able to study and learn with a
broad spectrum of talented students,” she
said. “It makes the University more intel
lectually vibrant for all students.”
And she said she thought a decline in the
quality of out-of-state students could hurt
UNC’s in-state standing as well. “In time,
UNC would not be able to attract such
outstanding students within the state if it
failed to attract outstanding students from
out of state,” MacDonald said.
No one seemed to think the Honors
How UNC Stacks Up
Although the Hunt plan would increase UNC out-of state tuition by 30 percent over the
next three years, the University would still be less expensive than other comparable
schools.
In-State Out-of-State
University of Texas-Austin SB4O $5,130
University of North Carolma-CH $ 1,454 SB4OO
University of Colorado-Boulder $1,824 $3,598
University of Maryland $3,480 $9,284
University of Virginia $3,724 $12,212
University of
University of Michigan $4,255 $13,892
Under Hunt plan (by 1997-98) $1,499 $10320
SOURCEUS.NEWSANDWORLDREroRTGUIDEONCOLLEGES.I99S DTH/CHRIS ANDERSON
Wednesday, March 29,1995
and make it better for in-state students to be
exposed to different backgrounds, political
and otherwise.”
Diversity is the buzzword when it comes
to justifying the out-of-state presence at
UNC.
“Out-of-state students provide what
other cultures provide,” said Loma
Haughton, a senior from Roosevelt, N.Y.
“You learn the difference between liv
ing in the North and the South, between
See STUDENTS, Page 6
“We won’t be attracting the
best out-of-state students and
possibly even some of the
in-state best. ”
JANE BROWN
Program would die out without out-of
staters; after all, last year’s incoming hon
ors freshman class was 58 percent in-state.
“We take the top candidates based on
high school academic record, regardless of
in-state or out-of-state residency,” said Sue
Hester, administrative assistant for the Hon
ors Program. “Of course, the out-of-state
residents being accepted are generally re
ally good students; that’s why a lot of them
are invited to participate.”
And since anyone is eligible to take
honors courses although honors stu-
See HONORS, Page 6
5