Beginning July 1, 2013, a $6.3 million budget cut will be put in effect on the campus of N.C. A&T. The budget cut will impact all areas of the university.

Tracey E. Smith, Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for budget and planning, said A&T will cut the budget for the fiscal year of 2014 in order to align the schools expenses with its projected revenues from tuition and appropriations from the state. The department for budget and financing began reviewing financial resources in the fall of 2012, and based on future projections, the decision was finalized this spring.

A&T will not be the only school taking a budget cut. According to Smith, at the end of March, Governor Pat McCrory submitted a proposal for budget cuts to the General Assembly that recommended reductions to the UNC System. In anticipation of budget cuts from the governor, which were not finalized at the time of this decision, A&T went forward and made cuts of their own.

As reported by North Carolina Student Power Union (NCSPU), a student-led organization made up of members from different campuses across North Carolina building a movement to fight against attacks on public education and other forms of oppression in the communities, the UNC System will have $185 million in cuts this upcoming fiscal year with another heavy hit the year following. NCSPU believes that this budget cut will cause a hike in tuition, which means some students will not be able to continue their education because it is unaffordable, and other students may have more debt. They also mentioned that McCrory wants to get rid of the estate tax leading to a cost of $54 million in revenue each year for the state of North Carolina.

Smith mentioned the school has incurred around $25 million in reductions from the state since 2008.

“Our first priority is to protect our classroom to the greatest extent possible. As we continue to incur reductions, not impacting our classroom becomes a greater challenge. Accordingly, this campus reduction may lead to increased classroom sizes and a reduction in course sections offered,” said Smith.

Smith notes that the cuts will not impact fees for the fiscal year of 2014, fall 2013-spring 2014, because they have already, but Rozolene Feimster, the administrative assistant in the treasurer’s office, stated that the tuition and fees have in fact not been finalized and are not known at this time.

A&T has already seen an increase in tuition and fees from 2011-2012 to 2012-2013. At the beginning of the fall semester of 2011, for a full-time in-state undergraduate student, their tuition and fees were $5,569.50 and out of state, $15,203.50. Currently, tuition for full-time in-state undergraduate students is $6,476.50 and out of state, $17, 074.50. It has gone up for in-state and out of state $907 and $1871, respectively, over the past year.

Jasmine Blackmon, a sophomore computer science student from Charlotte, said that she thinks the budget cut will affect the students. She mentioned that bigger classrooms would make it harder to learn or get assistance, and that there may be a longer wait to see a professor during office hours. With the cuts, Blackmon also feels this means there may be a cut in teaching assistants, which will also make it harder to get assistance with learning.

Blackmon is angry that it is the last week of school and students have not been notified that there will be budget cuts starting this summer. She says she does not like being left out when it is something that affects her, especially since it is her education and her money. In regards to a rise in tuition, Blackmon does not understand. “We are not reducing spending, we are just cutting budgets. If they are cutting budgets, they should be cutting tuition. I do not want to pay more for fewer resources,” said Blackmon.

In efforts to offset the cuts, Smith says that the school has been seeking ways to reduce their reliance on the state’s finances.

This includes attempting to grow enrollment and retention by stronger recruitment measures and implementations of academic programs, enhance fundraising efforts and form public and private partnerships. There are currently 10,659 students, undergraduate and graduate, enrolled at A&T, 247 students less than last year, with a retention rate of 74%. That is .5% less than the previous year according to Akua Matherson, Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management.

Smith also stated that approximately 66% of the school’s operating budget is received from the state of North Carolina, so the level of support A&T receives is considerably driven by the condition of the economy at the state and federal level.

“Therefore a significant part of our ability to not incur budget reductions is out of our control,” notes Smith.

There has been a decrease in state support for the past six years.

Today, also known as May Day or International Workers Day, workers and many community organizations will gather in Raleigh to speak out against the regressive plan of North Carolina legislature. NCSPU asks all students to come to Raleigh and join this demonstration against budget cuts and other proposed legislation.

“As students, we must recognize that our struggles are inextricably intertwined with the struggles of others. May 1st is a day to mobilize against these forces.”

• Kimberly Fields, Register Reporter