Last Wednesday, the UNC System Board of Governors lifted its nearly decade-long tuition freeze and raised the cost of attendance for most state universities.
The increase was capped at 3% systemwide, averaging $125 per year for in-state students.
The proposal and vote occur at a time when UNC System schools are grappling with state and federal funding cuts. The BOG announced the proposed in-state increase in September of last year.
At the meeting last week, the measure passed with only one dissenting vote from BOG member, Art Pope, who said it posed an increased financial strain on North Carolina residents. In his comments, Pope said that he particularly opposes the tuition increase for undergraduate in-state students.
“This is an increase on North Carolina students and their families at a time when the recent per capita income has decreased,” Pope said in the meeting. “Income in North Carolina peaked in 2021 with the stimulus payments. It went down sharply in 2022 when the stimulus ended and had high inflation, and it still has not fully recovered as of 2024.”
“We need to manage the budget to its entirety, not just look at tuition increases,” Pope said.
Mandatory fees will also increase by 1% and out-of-state tuition will increase by 10%.
“This decision today to allow for a rise in tuition for the first time in almost a decade is not a rubber stamp,” BOG Chair Wendy Murphy said.
The change will apply only to new students in the 2025-2027 cycle, and current students will not see an increase in their tuition.
UNC System schools prioritize operational efficiency and financial flexibility. For 21 years, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, one UNC System school impacted by the tuition increase, was ranked No. 1 best value public school in the 2026 US News & World Report Best Colleges rankings.
On average, public universities in the US raise their cost of attendance by 2-4% annually to keep up with inflation, according to the Education Data Initiative.
