House Bill 1183 would give the children of illegal immigrants the privilege of attending UNC schools and community colleges in N.C. for in-state tuition. Looks like yet another talking point used to sell us on the $3.1 billion bond referendum for higher education in 2000 could turn out to be a big fat whopper.
Another bond package has been approved for the University of North Carolina system, but this one was done without voter approval. State legislators approved a nearly $340 million bond package to finance a what were deemed “necessary projects” for the UNC system, even though some did not appear on the UNC Board of Governors’ wish list.
With financial aid at a record high, the cost of a college education is “well within the grasp of all Americans,” despite an increase in the cost of attending college, according to new reports by the New York-based College Board.
The question of whether the $3.1 billion in higher education bonds will raise taxes in North Carolina Counties sparked heated debate this week between bond supporters and research analysts.
To the applause of UNC leaders and amid self-congratulation, House and Senate members on Wednesday approved $3.1 billion in bonds for North Carolina’s public colleges and universities. But debate over equity and accountability continue as UNC leaders face ostensibly their biggest challenge yet – making their case to voters in November.
While Republican lawmakers say they will support the $3.1 billion bond proposal for the UNC campuses, many say they have misgivings about the way the state’s public universities are managed. Some are calling for accountability measures.
North Carolina is one of 39 states likely to face a shortfall in higher education spending in the next several years, according to a new report by Harold A. Hovey, a state budget and tax expert with the California-based National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.
Bonds may not be the best answer to UNC’s rising construction cost, according to a recent analysis by the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy. The report comes in the wake of a proposal by the UNC Board of Governors to meet the university’s construction needs by allowing the UNC-system to sell “special obligation” bonds and the state to issue “limited obligation” bonds. The proposal is scheduled to reach the General Assembly within weeks.
The UNC Board of Governer’s meeting on May 14 led to the approval of two financial “tools” that could change the way that UNC pays back construction bonds, according to Associated Press reports. The tools are included in two legislative bills that should reach the General Assembly within weeks.
