CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — Students at UNC Charlotte are heading back to class this fall facing several financial concerns that the financial aid director said are worse than ever.
This year, several need-based grant programs at the federal and state level have been eliminated, which means about $9 million less for UNCC students. Of the 25,000 students, 73 percent receive financial aid.
Tony Carter, the director of the financial aid office, said in his 23 years working in financial aid, the situation has never been this bad.
"I have never seen cuts to financial aid fall in one fell swoop on both the federal and state side at the same time," Carter said.
This comes at a time when more families are dealing with their own economic troubles and tuition has increased.
Some students told Eyewitness News they heard that some students have decided to work instead of take classes.
"That's a lot of smart people that want to do something with their life and they can't because they don't have that money," said UNCC sophomore Brittany Heath.
She and two of her friends who spoke with Channel 9 said they are getting far less in aid this year and they are now looking for off-campus jobs to help pay the bills.
The financial aid situation could also affect the school's graduation rate, if students have to spread out their courses in order to afford them. If that happens, it would affect funding for the school because the state looks at graduation rates when it decides how much money to allocate.
More Information: UNCC Office of Student Financial Aid
Previous Stories: August 2, 2011: Students To Feel Pinch In Debt Deal July 27, 2011: Debt Impasse Could Hold Up Money For Federally Backed College Loans
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