Budget cuts cost UNC-Chapel Hill 16,000 class seats

WRAL-TV
September 21, 2011
Chapel Hill, N.C. — The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill eliminated 500 classes this fall because of state budget cuts, meaning 16,000 fewer seats for students, according to a report to the Board of Trustees on Tuesday. The flagship campus of the UNC system will slash its budget by $80.7 million in 2011-12, officials told the board.... Chancellor Holden Thorp said UNC-Chapel Hill could be forced to seek more tuition increases to make up for the lost revenue.... "We think we have a significant opportunity to raise tuition without compromising access to the university."

The cuts were part of $414 million in spending reductions across the 17-campus university system called for in the budget, which used across-the-board cuts to close a $2.6 billion deficit without raising taxes. Class sizes in UNC's College of Arts and Sciences have jumped by 23 percent this fall because of the loss of seats. Some schools have restricted enrollment – nursing is down by 25 percent and elementary education by a third – to keep classes small. The budget cuts also will squeeze financial aid by $5.5 million to $7 million in 2012-13, officials said.  Click here to read more.