February 17, 2021
Dr. Hope Williams, President of the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, updated the Senate Education/Higher Education Committee today on the impact of the state’s independent colleges and universities, along with outlining legislative requests for this session.
North Carolina’s Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) consists of 36 institutions across the state. Duke University is one of the largest private institutions in the state, along with Wake Forest University and Campbell University. NCICU’s campuses employ more than 66,000 employees across the state, and provide over $14.2 billion in economic impact. North Carolina’s private higher education sector combined is the largest private employer in the state. Duke University alone is ranked as the second largest private employer in the state.
Several of NCICU’s campuses were highlighted for their research initiatives, including Duke, Wake Forest, and Campbell. NCICU’s institutions received over $1.5 billion in research funding in FY 2018-2019. Dr. Williams highlighted the Duke Human Vaccine Institute’s research on COVID-19 tests, vaccines, and antibody treatments as a significant contribution this past year.
One in four bachelor degrees in the state come from NCICU’s campuses, and one in three graduate degrees. There are over 88,000 students, with 65,124 undergraduates and 23,197 graduate students. Almost 50% of students from North Carolina receive federal Pell Grants, and 19,073 students received a North Carolina Needs-Based Scholarship. NCICU also awards a large percentage of degrees in the state, with 62% of medical degrees, 60% of pharmacy degrees, 64% of law degrees, and 89% of physician assistant degrees.
Last year, NCICU campuses received support from the North Carolina General Assembly to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate Bill 704 provided flexibility for students to complete clinical requirements in the midst of the pandemic, which was essential for education and health sciences majors. House Bills 1043 & 1105 provided a total of $30 million for students and families affected by COVID-19 at NCICU campuses, the transition to remote education, and PPE for campuses. House Bill 118 also provided legal protection for businesses and nonprofits, and Senate Bill 208 provided limited liability protection from lawsuits related to COVID-19.
NCICU’s campuses had to pivot quickly to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, with 33 campuses offering in-person and hybrid classes and three being fully remote. Many campuses have served as testing and vaccination sites, and are providing mobile health clinics for education, training, health screenings and vaccinations. Some campuses are requiring testing for students, and are doing routine surveillance and symptomatic testing. Institutions like Duke and others are using phone applications for daily monitoring of symptoms with students, faculty, and staff.
Lastly, Dr. Williams highlighted NCICU’s legislative requests for this year’s session. First, NCICU is requesting an increase of $8 million in recurring funding for State Need-Based Aid (from $88.9 million to $96.9 million). NCICU is also requesting an additional $6 million in non-recurring financial aid for students whose families have been negatively affected by COVID-19 and for unexpected COVID-19 related expenses. $750,000 is requested to provide a scholarship program for North Carolina students who graduate from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and attend an NCICU institution, in order to boost the number of North Carolina students who attend a private college in the state.