Task Force Will Consider Changes To Funding Model For UNC Campuses

Some schools in the UNC system could see changes in funding next fiscal year. University leaders have created a task force to re-evaluate how it distributes state dollars to its 17 public campuses.

The UNC system receives around $2.8 billion from the state to divvy up among its campuses.

But some schools say they're underfunded because the distribution model isn't fair. It uses several factors including enrollment and student credit hours taken at a given university.

UNC system president Margaret Spellings has launched a task force to study the issue. It includes representatives from the campuses and financial experts like Scott Lampe. He's the chief financial officer for Hendrick Motorsports and a member of the Board of Governors. Lampe says some degrees cost more to deliver, and that's something they will discuss.

“One of the things you want to look at is what are the degrees we are producing across the system and are we funding those accurately and fairly, so that a physics student in Greensboro, or Asheville, or Charlotte or Chapel Hill has equitable funding across the system,” says Lampe.

He says the group will also look at higher education trends and what other states are doing.

The Funding Model Task Force will have its first meeting on June 26th. Members will create recommendations for the Board of Governors, who will have the final approval on any funding changes at UNC campuses.

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