(The Center Square) – Tuition increases could be on the horizon for newly enrolled in-state students in North Carolina public colleges and universities.
Citing inflation, the chair of the UNC University System governing board, Wendy Murphy, on Thursday gave a green light to system schools to request “moderate” tuition increases of up to 3% for in-state students.
“But let me be clear,” Murphy said. “This doesn’t change our existing policies around college affordability. North Carolinians are getting more value for their investment at our institutions than almost anywhere else in the country.”
Even with a 3% increase, in-state tuition in North Carolina will still be among the lowest in the United States, Murphy said Any increases to in-state students will only apply to students who enroll in the fall of 2026.
“I want to be clear going forward,” she said. “This is not an automatic tuition increase. “Campuses will develop proposals with input from their communities and boards of trustees must approve those proposals before they come to this board for review in February 2026.”
Fee increases “should be kept to a minimum,” she added.
The governing board may consider special fees, but only to cover inflationary costs for existing academic programs or new programs approved by the governing board, Murphy said.The governing board has kept tuition for in-state students unchanged for nearly a decade.
“Going forward, we will equally judicious,” she said. “We simply acknowledge the reality of rising costs and the need to protect our institutions, preserve quality of instruction and ensure student success.”
The possible tuition hikes come as the University of North Carolina System set a record enrollment this fall, with 256,000 students, a 3.4% jump from 2024.
