Free tuition for some at Chapel Hill after Supreme Court ruling; What about WNC schools?

ASHEVILLE - UNC-Chapel Hill was at the center of a Supreme Court case that's been a hot topic across the nation for weeks ― affirmative action in college admissions. The Supreme Court ruled on June 29 that it's unlawful for colleges to take race into consideration as a specific factor in admissions.

A little over a week after the ruling UNC-Chapel Hill announced it will provide free tuition to some undergraduate students.

On July 7 the university sent out a message to campus saying it will provide free tuition and required fees for in-state undergraduates whose families make less than $80,000 per year — starting with the incoming class in 2024.

According to United States Census Data in 2021 the median household income in North Carolina was $60,516 and 33% of people ages 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher.

'Affordability and access'

The Citizen Times reached out to local UNC schools to see if they planned to follow suit with tuition assistance. Here's what we found out:

UNC Systems President Peter Hans said in a statement on June 29 that the universities will monitor the decision and will also follow the law.

“Our public universities do extraordinary work every day to serve students of all backgrounds, beliefs, income levels and life experiences. Every student in North Carolina should know that the UNC System welcomes their talent and ambition. The most important work of higher education is not in deciding how to allocate limited admissions slots at highly competitive schools, but in reaching and encouraging more students to take advantage of our 16 remarkable public universities,” Hans said.

Western Carolina University in Cullowhee is one of the original North Carolina Promise campuses, which launched in 2018 — allowing universities to offer reduced tuition rates.

"WCU’s tuition is set by the N.C. General Assembly at $500 per semester for all N.C. undergraduates and $2,500 per semester for all out of state undergraduates. The N.C. Promise tuition benefit applies to all undergraduates at WCU regardless of family income. Additionally, WCU offers the Catamount Commitment program, which provides grant funding for all eligible North Carolina freshmen, and other financial support to further offset college costs. We take great pride in offering an excellent university education at an incredible value," Provost of WCU Richard Starnes said to the Citizen Times in an email on July 10.

"Programs that improve college affordability and access for all North Carolinians will have a net positive economic impact for our state," he said.

According to UNC Asheville's website on tuition and fees, in-state undergraduate full-time residents pay $7,460 while out-of-state residents pay $24,808. This doesn't include other costs such as books and living expenses.

Michael Strysick, UNC Asheville spokesperson, told the Citizen Times in an email on July 10 that the new program announced at Chapel Hill will "ignite what are really ongoing conversations at other UNC System campuses about increasing access and reducing financial barriers."

"As part of our commitment to reach future Tar Heels throughout the state, we have hired additional outreach officers as part of our admissions team. They are serving in under-resourced communities to spread awareness of our affordability and recruit students from across the state. We want the best students to know that a UNC-Chapel Hill education is a possibility for them," UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said in a statement July 7.

According to the university's website, in-state tuition costs students $7,020 and out-of-state tuition is $37,360 and the fees are an additional $1,978.

Including costs such as housing, meals, books and supplies, travel, and loans almost triples the cost of a yearly college education.

Kerri Glover, executive director of community relations and marketing at Asheville-Buncombe Tech Community College, which is a two-year school and not part of the UNC System, told the Citizen Times on July 10 that they were able to offer free tuition for two years during COVID.

"When we had the federal and state COVID money we were able to offer free tuition for two years. We do have a lot of scholarships and we have financial aid of course, and we do student loans, but we always try to direct people first to scholarships and financial aid," Glover said.

"Anybody can come here."

For North Carolina residents who are taking 16 credits or more, tuition at A-B Tech comes out to $1,216 a year, and for non-residents it's $4,288. According to Glover, 70% of A-B Tech students are first generation college students.

Appalachian State University in Boone charges its in-state undergraduate residents $8,081 for just tuition and fees, and out-of-state residents $25,077.

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Affirmative action ends after UNC-Chapel Hill ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against UNC-Chapel Hill's race-conscious undergraduate admission policy in a 6-3 vote ― stating that it was a violation of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

UNC-Chapel Hill and the Students for Fair Admissions have been in a legal battle since 2014 when the SFFA filed the lawsuit.

The SFFA is a nonprofit group with more than 20,000 members — it was founded in 2014 by conservative activist Edward Blum. They believe that "a student’s race and ethnicity should not be factors that either harm or help that student to gain admission to a competitive university," according to their website.

"This is an action brought under the Fourteenth Amendment and federal civil rights laws to prohibit UNC-Chapel Hill from engaging in intentional discrimination on the basis of race and ethnicity," the complaint filed in 2014 stated.

More: NC private school voucher bill proceeds as Asheville public schools struggle for funds

After years of litigation, the case made its way to the Supreme Court in January of 2022 with arguments being made in October. The decided ruling came out on June 29 in favor of SFFA. Ruling that UNC Chapel Hill admissions program violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

"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," Guskiewicz said in a statement on July 7.

McKenna Leavens is the education reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at mleavens@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter @LeavensMcKennna. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: UNC Chapel Hill will offer free tuition to some students in 2024