GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1991

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 1230

Short Title:  UNC Tuition/CPI/SREB.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representatives Hege; and Justus.
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Referred to:  Education.
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May 10, 1991

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO REQUIRE THAT UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA TUITION RATES BE TIED TO THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, TO REQUIRE THAT TUITION REACH THE AVERAGE OF THE SOUTHERN REGIONAL EDUCATION BOARD'S COMPARABLE FIFTEEN INSTITUTIONS' TUITION BY 1993, AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 116-143 reads as rewritten:
"§ 116-143. State-supported institutions of higher education required to charge tuition and fees; tuition increases tied to Consumer Price Index; tuition set at comparable Southern Regional Education Board average.
The Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina shall fix the tuition and fees, not inconsistent with actions of the General Assembly, at the institutions enumerated in G.S. 116-4 in incremental increases beginning for the 1991-92 academic year, so that, by the academic year 1993-94, the tuition at each institution is that of the average of those of the comparable 15 states' institutions under the accreditation of the Southern Regional Education Board that are similar in nature and programs to that institution,  and each institution shall charge and collect from each student, at the beginning of each semester or quarter, tuition, fees, and an amount sufficient to pay other expenses for the term; provided that the amounts charged at the beginning of each academic year are increased or decreased at least by the amount of increase or decrease over the last academic year in the rates established by the Consumer Price Index issued annually by the United States Department of Commerce.  The automatic adjustment of amounts charged apply to amounts charged both to resident and nonresident students and does not affect the requirement of G.S. 116-144 that higher tuition and required fees be charged to nonresident students, but shall be a factor in meeting the requirements of G.S. 116-144.
In the event that said students are unable to pay the cost of tuition and required academic fees as the same may become due, in cash, the said several boards of trustees are hereby authorized and empowered, in their discretion, to accept the obligation of the student or students together with such collateral or security as they  may deem necessary and proper, it being the purpose of this Article that all students in State institutions of higher learning shall be required to pay tuition, and that free tuition is hereby abolished.
Inasmuch as the giving of tuition and fee waivers, or especially reduced rates, represent in effect a variety of scholarship awards, the said practice is hereby prohibited except when expressly authorized by statute or by the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina; and, furthermore, it is hereby directed and required that all budgeted funds expended for scholarships of any type must be clearly identified in budget reports.
Notwithstanding the above provision relating to the abolition of free tuition, the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina may, in its discretion, provide regulations under which a full-time faculty member of the rank of full-time instructor or above, and any full-time staff member of the University of North Carolina may during the period of normal employment enroll for not more than one course per semester in the University of North Carolina free of charge for tuition, provided such enrollment does not interfere with normal employment obligations and further provided that such enrollments are not counted for the purpose of receiving general fund appropriations."
Sec. 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of $10,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $10,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year to administer this act, which will result in considerable savings to the State when fully implemented.
Sec. 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1991.