CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced it will make tuition free for some students.
In a letter, the school’s chancellor said the decision was made after the Supreme Court ruled that UNC’s admissions practices were unconstitutional. The high court said universities could no longer consider race when making admissions decisions.
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Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said the university would comply with the court’s decision but also said the public university would expand opportunity.
UNC will offer free tuition and fees to incoming graduates from in-state families who make less than $80,000 per year. It starts with the incoming 2024 class.
“We want to make sure students know financial constraints should not stand in the way of their dreams,” Guskiewicz said.
The university has also hired people to work in under-resourced communities across the state so that they can spread awareness about UNC’s affordability.
“Our responsibility to comply with the law does not mean we will abandon our fundamental values as a university,” the letter reads.
‘Should have that access’
Rising high school senior Matthew Walker is learning that college is expensive.
“I definitely want to get out of school with close-to-no debt,” Walker said. “There are programs that my family is involved in and scholarships that I’m pursuing to try to lead to no debt.”
More students will be able to graduate debt-free at UNC Chapel Hill.
“That’s honestly great because I feel like a lot of lower-income families should have that access to education that they need, so they can break the cycle and get a better education,” Walker said.
Walker hopes UNC’s decision gives more students more opportunities.
Reggie Singleton is a mentor for teen boys transitioning to adulthood through his organization The Male’s Place.
“These students are prepared,” Singleton said. “The students are capable. The students are ready. It’s just a matter of them having access to the funding.”
He hopes more doors will open for the next generation of college students.
“It’s important that the university, not only merely bring them in, but they inculcate them, and that they undergird them with the support systems and resources necessary for them to not just get in, but to successfully graduate,” Singleton said.
UNC’s decision comes on the heels of a similar one from its sports rival, Duke University. Last month, the private school said it will provide free tuition to students whose families make less than $150,000. For students whose families make $65,000 or less, Duke will give financial assistance for housing, meals, and certain course supplies, in addition to the grant.
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