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 14^th, 2009                            Second Reading: November 18, 2009

WHEREAS,    the One-Hundred Forty-Eighth session of the North Carolina General Assembly was convened on January 28^th, 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.