By DAVID O. BELCHER

CULLOWHEE – While Western North Carolina’s mountains attract millions of visitors from around the world, beneath the beauty of the majestic peaks and long-range vistas exists a threat to the region’s economic viability. That threat is the low level of higher education attained by those who call these mountains home and its role in the prevalence of poverty in the region.

The percentage of people living in poverty in communities west of Buncombe County is up to 8 percent higher than the state average. At the same time, in those same communities, the post-secondary educational attainment rate is as much as 15 percent below the state average. Furthermore, a 2016 report issued by the Southwestern Regional Commission indicates that regional wages west of Buncombe are 35 percent below the national average and 27 percent below the state average. Of the few jobs created in WNC since 2008, 95 percent fall into the low-wage category (such as the service industry).

The link between educational attainment and quality of life, including economic prosperity, is clear. Higher education holds the key to an economically viable life and can be the ticket to escaping the shackles of poverty. The Pew Charitable Trust reports that higher education is the single largest enhancer to economic mobility, finding that individuals who attain college degrees are more than three times as likely to move from the bottom of the family income ladder to the top.

However, there is more at stake in improving educational attainment than gains in personal financial standing. A study commissioned by the University of North Carolina system, North Carolina Community College System and North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities revealed that higher education had a $63.5 billion statewide economic impact in 2012-13 through increased income, higher spending, job creation and societal benefits including reduced crime, lower unemployment, and improved health and well-being. Higher education’s benefits to the community at large are time-tested and its return-on-investment has been thoroughly documented.

At Western Carolina University, that ROI is especially important. WCU enjoys a reputation as one of the most affordable institutions of higher education around, but that does not matter to those who are struggling financially. For many capable young people, cost of attendance is an obstacle to entry, or it becomes a burden of debt they carry years after graduating. For the 2015-16 academic year, 42 percent of WCU students were eligible for Pell Grants, a strong indicator of significant financial need. Yet, for that same year, WCU students took out more than $63 million in loans for a single year of study. This is unacceptable.

Against this backdrop comes the N.C. Promise Tuition Plan. WCU is one of three UNC institutions selected by the General Assembly for inclusion in this bold and innovative approach to addressing the twin matters of access and affordability. I applaud our legislators for tackling two of the definitive higher education issues of our time through this effort, one that aligns well with WCU’s efforts to provide a high-quality academic experience at an affordable cost.

Under N.C. Promise, tuition costs for WCU students from North Carolina will drop from approximately $2,000 to $500 per semester. While N.C. Promise does not reduce mandatory student fees, which are part of the cost of a university education, the reduction in the cost of tuition will trigger significant savings for students and families in the total cost of attendance.

There is much we still do not know about N.C. Promise, including the details of its implementation and its ultimate impact on the university. But I do know this: WCU is up to the challenges of implementing this ambitious plan, which is scheduled to take effect in fall 2018. I am confident that Western Carolina University will seize N.C. Promise as an opportunity to make higher education even more affordable and accessible – and for an even larger number of students.

With the advent of N.C. Promise, we will strengthen our historic mission of serving WNC by providing the region’s students with an excellent university education that will enable them to enjoy productive lives as the building blocks of their families and their communities. And we will leverage the program to attract students from across North Carolina to help fuel a strong and sustainable state economy. WCU is keeping its promise.