Resolution 28
A RESOLUTION
TO BE ENTILED AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION FOR TUITION REVIEW
AND RECONSIDERATION CONCERNING THE LEGISLATIVE TUITION INCREASE FOR THE 2010-2011
ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR
Short Title: Tuition Reconsideration
Act
Sponsors: Senators Kouba and Bloodworth
Secondary Sponsors: Senators Lindh and
Hayes
Signatories: SBP Ceresnak, SSP Rogers
Referred to:
Tuition and Fees Committee
Version: Committee Version
First Reading: October 14th,
2009 Second Reading: November 18, 2009
WHEREAS, the One-Hundred Forty-Eighth session of the North
Carolina General Assembly was convened on January 28th, 2009 ; and,
WHEREAS, during that session the General Assembly adopted
Senate Bill 202 entitled the Appropriations Act of 2009; and,
WHEREAS, according to the Joint
Conference Committee Report on the Continuation, Expansion and Capital Budgets
for Senate Bill 202; contained within the Appropriations Act of 2009 was a
mandated tuition increase of the lesser either two hundred dollars ($200.00) or
eight percent (8%) at all institutions of the University of North Carolina
(UNC) system for the fiscal year 2010-2011 to be applied to both residents and
non-resident students at the undergraduate and graduate school levels; and,
WHEREAS, according the North Carolina State Constitution in
Article IX Section 9 it is quoted that ÒThe General Assembly shall provide that
the benefits of the University of North Carolina and other public institutions
of higher education, as far as practicable, be extended to the people of the
State free of expense.Ó; and,
WHEREAS, included in the budget priorities submitted by the
UNC Board of Governors in November 2008 was a request that any tuition increase
be accompanied by additional funds for the UNC need-based financial aid program
in order to hold recipients harmless from the effects of increases in the cost
of education; and,
WHEREAS, over the last ten academic years (2000-2009), on
average, forty-two percent (42%) of any tuition increase has returned to North
Carolina State University in the form of need based financial aid; and,
WHEREAS, during the 2009-2010 academic school year,
students demonstrating financial need had approximately seventy percent (70%)
of their needs met with scholarships and grant aid; and,
WHEREAS, according to the Office of Scholarships and
Financial Aid at North Carolina State University, the legislative-mandated
tuition increase will require approximately two million dollars ($2,000,000.00)
in additional funds to fully cover the projected increased expenses for
financially-needy undergraduates; and,
WHEREAS, a tuition review advisory committee is formed at
North Carolina State University every year to review tuition increase
procedures; and,
WHEREAS, during the 2009-2010 academic school year, North
Carolina State UniversityÕs Tuition Review Advisory Committee recommended an
increase of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) for undergraduate residents and
two hundred dollars ($200.00) for undergraduate nonresidents, graduate
residents, and graduate nonresidents; and,
WHEREAS, the committee recommended that the additional
tuition revenues be used to hold harmless financial need-based students with
the respect to the increase in tuition; and,
WHEREAS, the Tuition Review Advisory Committee recommended
that forty and sixth-tenths percent (40.6%) of any tuition increase be
allocated to need-based financial aid, twenty-three and three-tenths percent
(23.3%) be allocated to critical needs of quality and accessibility, and eleven
and two-tenths percent (11.2%) be allocated to the Graduate Student Support
Program; and,
WHEREAS, the North Carolina State University Tuition and
Fees Conference Committee recommended that fifty percent (50%) of the tuition
increase be allocated to need-based financial aid, eleven and two-tenths
percent (11.2%) be allocated to the Graduate Student Support Program, and
thirty-nine and eight-tenths (39.8%) of the tuition increase be allocated to
critical needs of quality and accessibility; and,
WHEREAS, forty-three percent (43%) of North Carolina State
University students are currently defined as needy, by meeting some criteria to
qualify for any amount of financial aid; and,
WHEREAS, a Campus-Initiated Tuition
Increase provides the best formula to afford the correct amount of funding be
allocated to financial aid in order to hold need based financial aid recipients
harmless from any tuition increase; and,
WHEREAS, several endowed scholarships that provided
need-based financial aid were lost due to the current economic downturn; now
therefore be it,
RESOLVED, the North Carolina State University Student Senate urges that
the North Carolina General Assembly amend the Appropriations Act of 2009 so
that any tuition increase adheres to the existing Campus-Initiated Tuition Increase
process ; and be it further,
RESOLVED, in the event any tuition
increase is necessary, the North Carolina State University Student Senate
asserts that it shall not exceed one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) for
undergraduate residents and two hundred dollars ($200.00) for undergraduate
nonresidents, graduate residents, and graduate nonresidents during the
2009-2010 academic year; and be it further,
RESOLVED, that fifty percent (50%) of any tuition increase be allocated
to need-based financial aid, eleven and two tenths percent (11.2%) be allocated
to the Graduate Student Support Program, and thirty-nine and eight tenths percent
(39.8%) of the tuition increase be allocated to critical needs for quality and
accessibility; and be it further,
RESOLVED, that this recommendation and others similar from constituent
UNC institutions be given significant consideration in the tuition review
process.
