To lessen the impact of state budget reductions, the N. C. General Assembly authorized a supplemental tuition increase for all 16 campuses of the University of North Carolina (UNC) by a maximum of $750. At Winston-Salem State University, the increases will vary depending on the student classification, but all increases will be taken over a two-year period.
Many students in the UNC system will have to dig a little deeper to pay for college.
Tuition for undergraduates at WSSU who are North Carolina residents will increase by $390 for the 2010-2011 academic year and by $233 in 2011-2012. Non-resident undergraduate students will see a tuition increase of $550 for the new academic year and a $200 increase in 2011-2012. Resident graduate students will see a $640 increase over the two-year period, with $500 being applied in 2010-2011 and the remainder in 2011-2012. Non-resident graduate students will receive a $600 increase for 2010-2011 and a $150 increase in 2011-2012.
“While these increases may be seen by some as extraordinary, we are operating in extraordinary times,” said Chancellor Donald J. Reaves. “These tuition increases will help to offset the impact of state budget cuts and protect the academic quality of our programs, including increased need-based financial aid.”
The UNC system received a $70 million cut in management flexibility funding for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. WSSU’s share of the reduction in state funds for this year will be approximately $2.8 million. This reduction is on top of the loss of more than $8 million that has been absorbed over the past two fiscal years.
“Until this latest cut, WSSU has been able to absorb the loss of state funding by reducing administrative expenses,” Chancellor Reaves explained. “With little left to cut, the loss of additional state funding for 2010-2011 would have impacted directly and adversely our core academic missions of teaching and research.“
To reduce the financial impact on students and their families, 20 percent of the legislatively authorized supplemental increase and 50 percent of a previously approved tuition increase of $115 will be allocated for need-based financial aid. More than 50 percent of WSSU students will be minimally affected by the tuition increases due to the level of financial aid that will be available to them. The impact on the remaining students will depend on their personal level of need.
“Increasing tuition is always a difficult decision. Yet, maintaining low tuition at the expense of a quality education is not a bargain for anyone,” said Chancellor Reaves. “The steps that have been taken were necessary if WSSU and the other UNC schools are to continue to provide our students with a quality education and contribute to the economic development of our state and communities.”
