The Republicans have introduced legislation that makes earning a college degree more difficult. Details about that legislation are provided below.

  1. A temporary sales tax increase was scheduled to expire in 2011. It had been implemented during the Great Recession and it had produced more than $1 billion annually during each of the previous two years. The Republican leaders in the state legislature could have extended the tax, but chose to let it expire. Instead, it passed a budget that required state agencies to cut their budgets by $1.3 billion from levels the agencies considered necessary to continue their operations at current levels. At the university level, the budget of the University of North Carolina system was cut by $414 million, resulting in a loss of 3,000 jobs. Additional cuts were made in the 2012 – 13 and the 2013-14 school years.
  2. The teaching fellows program, which did indeed bring some talented, highly motivated teachers into the classroom, has been eliminated because of budget cuts. This scholarship program permitted students from all economic backgrounds to pursue a high quality education without worrying about the cost.
  3. To partially offset the decrease in funding, universities have had to raise their tuition. The tuition increases mean that many students, especially from low income families, will not be able to continue their education. The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, for example, estimated that 500 students did not return for the 2012-13 school year because of the cost increases. The ability to attend college is strongly influenced by socioeconomic status. Approximately 70% of students from the richest ¼ of families attend college, whereas only 19% of the students from the poorest ¼ of families are enrolled.
  4. Two Republican leaders, former state senator Peter Brunstetter and state senator Chad Barefoot, are asking their colleagues in the legislature to consider closing one or two of the UNC institutions. Any closure would be a major blow to educational opportunities in the state and to the economic well-being of the community where the schools are located.
  5. In an unusual move, the Republican leaders in the legislature mandated a 12.3 percent increase in tuition for out of state students at UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina A&T, UNC Wilmington and UNC School of the Arts. The Republican leaders also increased out of state tuition 6 percent at 10 other campuses. This action by the Republican leaders was unusual in that it bypassed the UNC Board of Governors, which normally sets tuition for the state’s public universities. These tuition increases will make it more difficult to attract talented students from outside North Carolina. It should be noted that many out of state students remain in North Carolina after graduation, adding to the state’s core of educated workers.  Since 2008, North Carolina A&T has lost $34 million in state funding, and has cut about 250 positions. It is expecting an additional loss of state funding of between $1 million and $3.6 million for the 2014-15 school year.  At the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a decrease in state funding forced the university increase tuition; there was a $4 million budget cut and 390 class sections were eliminated. Many students could not afford the tuition increase and did not re-enroll; there was a loss of about 500 students this year. Since state funding is based on enrollment, the loss of students meant a loss in state funds. The university will lose $12.8 million in state funding for the 2014-15 school year, since funding is based on enrollment. The university expects to cut 120 jobs, cut about 600 class sections, and increase class sizes. The university has endured $90 million in budget cuts since 2008.
  6. Prior to the take-over by the Republican leaders, food served in campus dining halls was tax free. But a sales tax in now imposed on dining hall served meals, further increasing the cost of attending college in North Carolina. This tax, which applies to dining halls in both state and private universities, further increases the cost of a college education.
  7. A hidden cost increase is the treatment of contributions made to a 529 college savings plan. In the past those contributions were tax deductible; they are now no longer deductible. Since these contributions cannot be deducted, families saving for their children’s college education will pay a higher tax.
  8. College students cannot use their college ID to comply with the new voter ID law, which goes into effect in 2016. In some states students can use their college ID for voting purposes, but the Republican leaders would not allow such use in North Carolina.
  9. Republican leaders in Watauga County eliminated early voting on the campus of Appalachian State University, and they moved the election day polling site from the school’s conveniently located student union building to a less accessible on-campus night club. Many on campus felt that this change would discourage potential voters, that it was an attempt to suppress the vote of the student population.
  10. Republican leaders in the North Carolina Senate passed legislation which financially penalized the parents of college students who voted on their college campuses; parents lost the exemption of their college students if the students voted in their college precinct rather than in the precinct of their home address. This measure would make it more difficult for students to vote. (This issue became unimportant when Republican leaders voted to end all exemptions for all voters.)
  11. Pell grants provide financial assistance for low income students who would not otherwise be able to attend college. Republican leaders in the US Congress have proposed cutting funding for Pell grants, and Republican leaders in North Carolina support this move.
  12. The Republican leaders have also decreased funding for the 58 community colleges in North Carolina. As a result, schools have had to eliminate programs, increase class sizes, eliminate faculty positions, and reduce student services.

It is clear that many Republican leaders have a disdain for college students and the University of North Carolina system. It is important that college students and those who support higher education in North Carolina remove the Republican leaders from office. VOTE DEMOCRATIC!!

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