— The state's tuition surcharge on college students who take too long to graduate has been repealed.

Gov. Roy Cooper signed the change into law Wednesday, adding his support to a bill that moved almost unanimously through the General Assembly this year. The change is effective immediately.

Cooper also signed eight other bills from this ongoing legislative session into law Wednesday, including one that expands the state's "right to try" laws to include treatments with adult stem cells for both chronically and terminally ill patients.

Under the surcharge, students taking more than 140 credit hours to complete a four-year baccalaureate degree paid 50 percent more tuition once they crossed that threshold. The surcharge was first passed in 1993, and it increased to 50 percent in 2010.

A full list of the bill's Cooper signed Wednesday, per the Governor's Office: