Families nationwide continue to grapple with the rising costs of higher education. Public universities, which typically rely on state appropriations as a primary source of funding, increased their tuition and fee rates at a higher percentage than private universities this year. Tuition and fees for in-state students increased by 8.3 percent to an average of $8,244 at public universities, while private universities increased their tuition and fees by 4.5 percent to an average of $28,500, according to data compiled by the College Board. And that doesn’t include additional costs such as room, board and textbooks. UNC-CH’s Board of Trustees approved a tuition hike proposal of $2,800 earlier this month that would be phased in during a five-year span, including an increase of 15.6 percent for in-state students next year.
