ASHEVILLE, N.C. — UNC Asheville did not run its university credit card programs consistently, leaving room for purchases that broke the rules to slip through, according to a review released by the office of North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek.
The review covered July 1, 2025, through Feb. 28 of this year. In that span the campus processed 8,914 card charges worth about $2 million. Auditors pulled 1,026 purchase card charges totaling $681,461 for a closer look and found records that lacked documentation, including some missing the required sign-off before a purchase.
Among the problems were 21 trips without travel preapproval, three lodging stays missing paperwork showing cost savings and nine barred payments to Verizon. Auditors also flagged four alcohol purchases for university events totaling $4,450, three payments for legal fees totaling $5,299 and two purchases covering six iPhones and an iPad, all of which the rules prohibit.
The university had 218 purchase cards, which logged $1,371,370 in charges, and 173 travel cards, which logged $668,791. Amazon was the largest purchase card merchant at $162,199, while hotels and lodging led travel card spending at $208,096.
The auditor’s office urged stronger monitoring, training and enforcement, plus clear steps to find, investigate and correct violations. In its written response, the school’s budget and finance office said it is committed to acting on the recommendations while keeping a card program it called valuable to its operations.
UNC Asheville is one of several colleges in the local economy, alongside A-B Tech, Warren Wilson College and Montreat College. It enrolls 2,646 students this year, and the state budget for fiscal 2027 sets aside $51.1 million for the campus.
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