The University of North Carolina Board of Governors and the Association of Student Governments have worked to lower tuition rates in certain cases that would accommodate military and out-of state students.

The BOG held a meeting Feb. 21 during which the budget committee voted on what to include in its budget request to send to the North Carolina General Assembly in May.

Part of the resolution included a request to repeal the out-of-state undergraduate tuition increases effective fall 2014 that were ruled across the UNC system this past summer.

If the BOG’s resolution’s request is not approved, Appalachian State University’s out-of-state tuition will increase 6 percent.The General Assembly voted not to increase in-state undergraduate tuition for the coming year.

BOG Chairman Peter Hans said he is unsure as to how the state legislature will react.

“The General Assembly is weighing many different priorities such as increased teacher pay and continued challenges with the Medicaid program,” Hans said.

The BOG is also considering expanding the boundaries for in-state tuition for some system schools, including Appalachian. The BOG met in June 2013 to discuss possibly allowing students who live within close proximity of the state border to receive a lower out-of-state tuition rate for near-border campuses in the UNC system, which includes Appalachian due to its proximity with the Tennessee border.

ASG included support of this idea in a legislative priorities resolution Jan. 24.

A priority is “allowing students in bordering states to attend [UNC system] [s]chools within 35 miles of their residence to receive in-state tuition to said institution,” according to the resolution.

In addition, the resolution lists in-state tuition for all U.S. military veterans at all UNC system schools as one of its priorities.

Appalachian currently provides in-state tuition for military students without residency requirements if they are active-duty, but students who were stationed out of North Carolina are not considered in-state for tuition purposes once they have left the service.

Story: Laney Ruckstuhl, News Reporter