AN ACT to authorize THE STATE BOARD OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO IMPLEMENT AN IN‑STATE TUITION PILOT PROGRAM FOR RESIDENTS OF CERTAIN GEORGIA COUNTIES.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  Pilot Program. – Notwithstanding G.S. 115D‑39(a) and G.S. 116‑143.1, the State Board of Community Colleges shall establish and implement an in‑State tuition pilot program for certain border counties in the State of Georgia. The pilot program shall allow Tri‑County Community College to offer in‑State tuition to residents of the following Georgia counties:

(1)        Fannin County.

(2)        Rabun County.

(3)        Towns County.

(4)        Union County.

No out‑of‑state student eligible for in‑State tuition due to this pilot program shall displace a North Carolina resident eligible for in‑State tuition who is seeking to enroll in a program offered by Tri‑County Community College.

SECTION 1.(b)  Report. – By September 30, 2024, and annually thereafter for the duration of the pilot program, the State Board of Community Colleges shall report the results of the pilot program to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Fiscal Research Division of the General Assembly. This report shall include information about the number of out‑of‑state students who enrolled at the in‑State tuition rate, the programs that these students chose, any programs unavailable to these students due to potential displacement of North Carolina residents, any indicators of increased economic development as a result of this program, and the number of out‑of‑state students enrolled who do not qualify for the in‑State tuition rate.

SECTION 1.(c)  Expiration. – The pilot program required by this section shall expire at the end of the 2026‑2027 academic year.

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2023‑2024 academic year.