UNC’s flagship campus announced another step to improve affordability and access to North Carolinians, sharing plans to provide free tuition and fees to certain undergraduate students beginning in 2024.
UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz sent a message to the campus community on Friday afternoon, saying students from North Carolina whose families make less than $80,000 a year will qualify for the new initiative. While he said more details will be shared in coming weeks, the chancellor wrote it is the latest effort to students do not Carolina based on financial constraints. He said it will work to continue the goals of such financial aid programs as the Carolina Covenant and Blue Sky Scholars.
Guskiewicz indicated the move is partially due to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last week to ban race-conscious admissions policies for universities — a case in which UNC was a plaintiff. The court’s 6-3 conservative majority ruled that considering race as a factor for permitting students, which the Chapel Hill university argued was necessary for cultivating a diverse campus experience, violated the constitution’s 14th Amendment.
The UNC chancellor said the changes announced Friday will be part of Carolina’s adjusted admissions methods based on the ruling.
“We will follow the Supreme Court’s decision in all respects,” wrote Guskiewicz. “That means race will not be a factor in admissions decisions at the University. It also means we will comply with the Court’s ruling that an applicant’s lived racial experience cannot be credited as ‘race for race’s sake,’ but instead under some circumstances may illuminate an individual’s character and contributions.
“Our responsibility to comply with the law does not mean we will abandon our fundamental values as a university,” he added later in the letter. “We are and will remain passionately public, and we will ensure that every student who earns admission to Carolina can come here and thrive. Our University’s commitment to access and affordability and supporting a culture of belonging for everyone does not change with last week’s ruling.”
Along with the tuition stipulation, Guskiewicz said UNC recently hired “additional outreach officers” to join its admissions department. The new employees will work in under-resourced communities in the state to share information about Carolina’s affordability and financial aid opportunities.
“In our 230-year history,” wrote Guskiewicz, “our University has faced many changes. We have seen them as challenges but also opportunities to learn and grow, improving our capacity to serve the people of our state. As chancellor, a member of the faculty for 28 years and a parent of two recent graduates, I know our community creates strength from all our differences. We can’t lose different perspectives and experiences in the classroom that give depth to our discussions and make our work impactful. In the months and years to come, we will continue to strive to build upon our vibrant community.”
UNC is not the only Triangle-based university to recently make a similar change. Duke University announced on June 20 it would improve affordability for North Carolina and South Carolina-based undergraduates, providing full tuition grants for undergraduates whose families earned less than $150,00 per year. Duke added that such residents whose families earn less than $65,000 will earn additional housing, meal, and course material assistance.
Photo via UNC-Chapel Hill.
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