UNCC board recommends raise in tuition, fees

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The University of North Carolina at Charlotte board of trustees recommended Thursday modest increases in annual charges for tuition and fees for the 2013-14 academic year, according to a news release.

By a unanimous vote, the trustees approved a $69 increase for undergraduate students and a $79 increase for graduate students in annual in-state and out-of-state tuition. The amount equals a 2 percent tuition increase for resident students.

In addition, the board approved a $113 across-the-board increase in general fees, which included a previously approved $50 increase for football.

Chancellor Philip Dubois also recommended a $50 increase to pay for campus renovations and repairs to physical infrastructure.

The total cost for tuition and fees for undergraduate resident students with the addition of the $232 increase for this year equals $6,105 -- about 3.95 percent more than the current $5,873.

The proposed increases require final approval by the UNC Board of Governors and the state legislature.

"Given the recent data on the financial circumstances of our students and the effect these have on their retention and graduation rates, I am recommending this very small increase," Dubois said.

Dubois told the board of trustees that the effects of the economic recession can be seen clearly in the financial challenges facing students.

"We have the largest number of Pell-eligible undergraduate students in the UNC system," Dubois said of the nearly 8,700 such students. "Seventy-four percent of our undergraduates receive financial aid, and 63 percent are receiving loans. Our tuition policy needs to reflect these realities," Dubois said.

Dubois said that the administration would redirect some of the tuition revenues to expand on-campus employment and internship opportunities for students, including summer research programs.

"With so many of our students having to work to make ends meet, we think employment on campus is a positive option," Dubois noted.

WSOC