The door is now open wider at Western Carolina University to first-year, out-of-state undergraduates.
For years, the UNC System capped freshman, out-of-state enrollment at 18%, but earlier this month, the UNC Board of Governors voted to raise the limit to 25%, noting enrollment demand from non-residents is up, while the number of North Carolina high school seniors is leveling off.
Officials from Western hope this change will boost overall enrollment, which has waned in recent years.
Still, university leaders say admission priority will remain with in-state students.
“We expect -- and so does the UNC System and the Board of Governors would expect -- an out-of-state student to have higher credentials than an in-coming, in-state student. We are not turning away North Carolina students-graduated North Carolina students,” said Phil Cauley, WCU associate vice chancellor for Undergraduate Enrollment, on Thursday, Jan. 26.
He said the expectation, too, is that many students coming from out-of-state will graduate and take jobs locally, thereby contributing to the local economy.
The change goes into effect in fall 2023.
The 25% out-of-state cap also applies to UNC-Asheville, UNC-Greensboro, UNC-Pembroke and East Carolina University.