Trustees approve tuition increase
Kesha Williams
December 14, 2007
New tuition increases approved by the ECSU Board of Trustees will allow university officials to make improvements in need-based financial aid, in student services and at residence halls. The ECSU Board of Trustees approved a 1.5 percent increase in tuition for in-state and out-of-state students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Other fee increases include a 5 percent meal plan increase a $100 per semester room rate increase and a $5 per semester book rental increase. The proposed fee increases must next meet the approval of the UNC Board of Governors. Revenues generated by the campus-initiated tuition increase would be used as follows: 35% for need-based financial aid 30% to provide additional funding in student services 35% for faculty salaries The university has a tremendous need for need-based financial aid. The additional funds will help make substantial progress towards addressing the unmet needs of our students. The proposed increases in auxiliary services will allow us to provide the high quality of services that are being affected by inflationary factors and to assist in responding to the student demand for increased programs and activities. The increase in housing will be used to install sprinkler systems in the residence halls, cover other rising maintenance costs and associated personnel costs. Three of the older residence halls do not have sprinkler systems. They are Hugh Cale, Mitchell-Lewis and Wamack). The residence hall rent increase will provide those sprinkler systems. The proposed tuition and auxiliary fee increases are essential to the continued well-being of the outstanding educational experience offered by the university. Regarding the increase ECSU Chancellor Gilchrist said," Every university in the UNC system had an opportunity to increase fees. Because of our low tuition rate, we could have increased up to 6.5 percent. We are below the 80th percentile for faculty salaries in our peer group, and in dire need of need-based financial aid." "We did not want to place a hardship on our students by taking a 6.5 percent increase. However, to meet the needs of a growing university we made the 1.5 percent increase."