GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 2
HOUSE BILL 373
Committee Substitute Favorable 3/19/25
Short Title: UNC Tuition Discounts for Certain Students. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
March 12, 2025
*H373 -v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PERMIT CONSTITUENT INSTITUTIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH 2
CAROLINA TO PROVIDE DISCOUNTED TUITION T O PERSONS RECEIVING 3
MILITARY TUITION ASS ISTANCE OR PERSONS E NROLLED IN AN 4
EMPLOYER-SPONSORED FINANCIAL SUPPORT PROGRAM. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
SECTION 1. G.S. 116-143 reads as rewritten: 7
"§ 116-143. State-supported institutions of higher education required to charge tuition and 8
fees. 9
… 10
(c) Inasmuch as the giving of tuition and fee waivers, or especially reduced rates, 11
represent in effect a variety of scholarship awards, the said practice is hereby prohibited except 12
when expressly authorized by statute. 13
(d) Notwithstanding the above provision relating to the abolition of free tuition, the Board 14
of Governors of The University of North Carolina may, in its discretion, provide regulations 15
under which personnel may during the period of normal employment enroll in The University of 16
North Carolina free of charge for tuition and fees, provided such enrollment does not interfere 17
with normal employment obligations and further provided that such enrollments are not counted 18
for the purpose of receiving General Fund appropriations as follows: 19
(1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, a full-time faculty 20
member of the rank of full-time instructor or above and any full-time staff 21
member of The University of North Carolina may enroll in not more than three 22
courses per year. 23
(2) A full-time or part-time campus law enforcement officer may enroll in the 24
number of courses per year determined by regulation. 25
(d1) Notwithstanding subsection (c) of this section, the Board of Governors of The 26
University of North Carolina may do any of the following: 27
(1) Personnel. – Provide regulations under which personnel may enroll in The 28
University of North Carolina free of charge for tuition and fees during the 29
period of normal employment if the (i) enrollment does not interfere with 30
normal employment obligations and (ii) enrollments are not counted for the 31
purpose of receiving General Fund appropriations. Personnel may enroll free 32
of charge for tuition and fees as follows: 33
a. A full-time faculty member of the rank of full-time instructor or above 34
of The University of North Carolina may enroll in not more than three 35
courses per year. 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 373-Second Edition
b. A full-time staff member of The University of North Carolina may 1
enroll in more than three courses per year. 2
c. A full-time or part-time campus law enforcement officer may enroll in 3
the number of courses per year determined by regulation. 4
(2) Military students. – Allow constituent institutions, in their discretion, to 5
discount tuition to qualifying military students by an amount of up to the 6
difference in the maximum amount of military tuition assistance funds the 7
student receives and the applicable tuition. For purposes of this subdivision, a 8
qualifying military student is a student who meets the following criteria: 9
a. Is a resident for tuition purposes under G.S. 116-143.1. 10
b. Receives either (i) federal military tuition assistance funds or (ii) 11
military tuition assistance funds for members of the North Carolina 12
National Guard under Article 15 of Chapter 127A of the General 13
Statutes. 14
(3) Employer sponsorships. – Allow constituent institutions, in their discretion, 15
to discount tuition to students who are enrolled in an employer-sponsored 16
financial support program which has been approved by the Board of 17
Governors of The University of North Carolina. The discount may be up to 18
the difference in the maximum amount provided by the employer and the 19
applicable tuition. For purposes of this subdivision, an employer-sponsored 20
financial support program is a program in which the employer of a student has 21
committed to provide financial support to the student to offset the costs of 22
tuition or fees in the student's degree or credential program. 23
(d2) No later than February 15 of each year, the Board of Governors of The University of 24
North Carolina shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Fiscal 25
Research Division on the discounted tuition provided in the previous academic year pursuant to 26
subdivisions (2) and (3) of subsection (d1) of this section, including at least the following 27
information: 28
(1) The number of students that receive a discount under subdivisions (2) and (3) 29
of subsection (d1) of this section. 30
(2) The annual financial impact on each constituent institution resulting from the 31
discounted tuition provided. 32
…." 33
SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 34
the 2025-2026 academic year. 35