The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is highly unusual. A component of the University of North Carolina system, it is "dedicated entirely to the professional training of students possessing talents in the performing, visual and moving image arts." This paper addresses the question of whether taxpayer funding is appropriate for a school that focuses on professional arts training, attracts nearly half its college students from outside the state, and appears to send most of its graduates elsewhere. It is, on a per capita basis, the most costly school in the University of North Carolina system. "The UNC School of the Arts: Should It Be Self-Supporting?" reflects the Pope Center's ongoing interest in encouraging a system of higher education in North Carolina that best meets the needs of students, their families, and taxpayers.