Investment

The benefits generated by UNC universities affect the lives of many people. The most obvious beneficiaries are the universities’ students, who attend universities in return for a lifetime of higher income and improved quality of life. But the benefits do not stop there. As students earn more, communities and citizens throughout North Carolina benefit. In the form of increased tax revenues and public sector savings, the value of education extends as far as the state and local government.

Student Perspective

To enroll in postsecondary education, students pay money for tuition and forgo monies that they would have otherwise earned had they chosen to work instead of learn. From the per­spective of students, education is the same as an investment. The benefits are the higher earnings that students receive as a result of their education.

Societal Perspective

North Carolina benefits from the education that UNC universities provide through the income that students create in the state and through the savings that they generate through their improved lifestyles. Society’s investment in UNC universities stretches across a number of investor groups, from students to employers to taxpayers.

Taxpayer Perspective

Taxpayer benefits from UNC universities are measured by how they affect the overall public, not just private residents.  Added income from universities contribute to savings related to improved health, reduced crime, and fewer welfare and unemployment claims received by state and local government.