Tuition and Other Charges
Payment Schedule
All students must pay tuition and fees according to the schedule printed in the University Registrar's Calendar
unless they qualify for a deferment. Refer to the Office of the University Cashier for current cost of attendance information.
Residence Status for Tuition Payment
As a state supported institution, the tuition rate for legal residents of North Carolina is less than the tuition rate for nonresidents. Information regarding residency requirements is available on The Graduate School's residency website.
Students requesting readmission or reapplication may also need to request a new residency determination via the Residency Determination Service and follow the instructions to be considered a NC resident for tuition purposes.
Tuition Remission and In-State Tuition Awards
A full-time, non-resident student who is awarded a qualifying fellowship or assistantship appointment and meets eligibility standards may receive a Tuition Remission Award reducing tuition to in-state rates.
In addition to tuition remission, non-resident and resident students who are awarded a qualifying fellowship or assistantship appointment may receive an In-State Tuition Award.
Tuition remission and in-state tuition awards are initiated by the academic program in which the student is enrolled.
Tuition remission and in-state tuition awards from Graduate School funds are available in fall and spring semesters only. No summer awards are made from Graduate School funds, although individual programs may provide these awards from their own funds. Students must be on-campus unless their fellowship or academic progress requires their presence at another campus or research center.
Per federal policy, if a student receives an in-state tuition award, the funding source(s) of the student’s stipend are required to pay the tuition. Exceptions may be made by the funding unit.
Additional financial policies and procedures can be found on our Funding Resources website.
Eligibility
Students must meet the following criteria to qualify for tuition remission and in-state tuition awards:
- Students must be full-time, degree-seeking, and enrolled in a residential graduate program administered by The Graduate School.
- Students enrolled in master's/doctoral sequence programs or stand-alone or free-standing master's programs must receive a minimum stipend level per semester, as set by The Graduate School. Stipend levels are subject to change each year.
- Students must have an appointment as a teaching assistant, research assistant, or fellow/trainee. The appointment must be in effect for a period of not less than one full semester for the student to be eligible for, and to retain, tuition remission and an in-state tuition award.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Students determined at any point in the semester to no longer meet the eligibility requirements to receive a tuition remission and in-state tuition award will have the full amount of any tuition remission and in-state tuition award rescinded and are then personally responsible for paying the full costs of tuition for that semester in accordance with the policies of the University Cashier. Students with extenuating circumstances should discuss with their director of graduate studies and The Graduate School.
Duration of Support
- Free-standing master's program students are eligible for tuition remission and in-state tuition awards for four semesters;
- Doctoral students (or students in master's/doctoral sequence programs) are eligible for tuition remission and in-state tuition awards for ten semesters.
Individual programs are permitted to grant additional semesters of tuition support from their own budget or other departmental sources of funding. Students must maintain eligibility to receive tuition remission and in-state tuition awards.
Additional semesters of in-state tuition support from Graduate School funding sources are not allowed.
Semesters in which the student does not receive tuition remission and in-state tuition awards from The Graduate School do not count toward the four or ten semester limit. Students who complete a degree in one academic program and then enroll in another academic program or change academic programs without receiving a degree are only eligible for the maximum semesters of eligibility as noted above during their enrollment at the University.
Mandatory Student Fees
Students who receive tuition remission and in-state tuition awards will receive mandatory fee awards. The fee award pays the cost of mandatory fees charged by the University Cashier's Office. The fee award does not include special program fees. Students are responsible for individual program fees.
In most cases, mandatory student fees will be paid by the same funding source(s) that covers stipend support.
Students who pay their own tuition are responsible for paying their mandatory student fees.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Students determined at any point in the semester to no longer meet the eligibility requirements to receive a mandatory fee award will have the full amount rescinded and are then personally responsible for paying the fees for that semester in accordance with the policies of the University Cashier. Students with extenuating circumstances should discuss with their director of graduate studies and The Graduate School.
Consequences of Academic Actions
Resignation from Appointment
Students who have received a tuition remission, in-state tuition award, and/or mandatory fee award who resign from their University appointment prior to the end of the semester (for personal, financial, medical, or any other reason) will have the full amount of their award rescinded and are then personally responsible for paying full costs for that semester in accordance with the policies of the University Cashier. Students with extenuating circumstances should discuss with their director of graduate studies and The Graduate School.
Adding a Course
Students who have received a tuition remission and in-state tuition award and add a course before the end of the official registration add period, which results in additional tuition charges, will receive additional tuition remission and in-state award funds to cover the cost of the hours added should funds be available. Students who add a course after the official add registration period, which results in additional tuition charges, will not receive additional tuition remission and in-state award funds to cover the credit hours added and are then personally responsible for paying the additional cost for the credit hours added.
Dropping a Course
Students who have received a tuition remission and in-state tuition award who drop a course at any point in the semester will be re-evaluated to ensure that they still meet the eligibility requirements to receive a tuition remission and in-state tuition award.
Students determined to still meet the eligibility requirements, for whom the reduction in credit hours occurs before the census date and still receive credit on their financial account (“census date” is generally two weeks after classes begin), may have their financial account adjusted with no penalty.
Students determined to still meet the eligibility requirements, for whom the reduction in credit hours occurs after the census date and still receive credit on their financial account (“census date” is generally two weeks after classes begin), will have the tuition remission and in-state award to cover the credit hours for the course dropped rescinded and are then personally responsible for paying the tuition costs for the credit hours dropped.
Please refer to the Academic and Financial Policy Regarding Tuition and Drop Dates for further details on the consequences of dropping a course after the census date.
Withdrawal
Students who have received a tuition remission, in-state tuition award, and mandatory fee award who withdraw from the University (i.e., drop all classes) prior to the fulfillment of their term commitment (for personal, financial, medical, or any other reason) will have the full amount of their award rescinded and are then personally responsible for paying the full costs for that semester in accordance with the policies of the University Cashier.
Students who withdraw from the University and are enrolled in either the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program or Student Blue may have their health insurance policy terminated. Further policies related to the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program, including appeals to the termination policy, are available on the UNC Finance policy website.
For questions about Student Blue, please contact Campus Health Services.
Exceptions to these financial impacts of withdrawing may be granted for students with extenuating circumstances, such as medical situations or other urgent or unusual circumstances. Requests for exceptions must be submitted to The Graduate School by the student’s director of graduate studies.
Partial Tuition Remissions
Programs with stand-alone or free-standing master's degrees are allowed to provide students a partial tuition remission, equal to 25 percent, 50 percent or 75 percent of full tuition. This plan was designed to accommodate students who have reduced Research Assistant responsibilities as master's degree students. In order to qualify for these partial tuition remissions, students must receive a minimum stipend level per semester, as set by The Graduate School. Please note that this program is voluntary. Students in stand-alone programs are still eligible for a full tuition remission, provided they meet the eligibility criteria as described above for teaching or research assistants.
Off-Campus Reduced Fee Rate Policy
Graduate students who must be engaged in full-time academic work that must be conducted off campus as determined by the requirements of the academic program can petition to be charged a reduced fee rate. This rate reflects the fact that these graduate students must be away from campus and cannot utilize many on-campus services.
Recipients of GTIS awards are encouraged to request the Off-Campus Reduced Fee Rate for each term in which they will receive a GTIS award.
Students must first register for regular courses in ConnectCarolina, typically 992/993/994 research credits. Student petitions will be reviewed by the academic program, who will take the student’s progress to date, academic plan for the semester, and need for University resources, including faculty time, into consideration. Approved petitions must then be submitted to The Graduate School for review. If approved, the Cashier’s Office will revise the bill at the appropriate rate.
The Petition for Off-Campus Rate Adjustment form
should be submitted following the deadlines listed on the form.
Student Services
Students approved for Off-Campus Fee Rate Adjustments retain official student status; access to IT services provided by the Educational & Technology Fee, such as email, software, mainframe computing access, and an active Onyen and PID; access to the University Library; and access to mandatory student services, such as Accessibility Resources and Service, Office of the Dean of Students, and The Graduate School. Full-time enrollment status, financial aid eligibility, and loan deferment status will be determined based on the student’s course enrollment following standard University policies.
Because students approved for Off-Campus Fee Rate Adjustments will not be paying the Student Health fee or able to use Campus Health Services, they will lose access to the Student Blue optional health insurance plan. Students with RA/TA appointments retain eligibility for the GSHIP health insurance plan. Access to other campus-based services not covered in the above fees will not be retained, including, but not limited to: athletic events, recreational facilities, fee-based units such as the Writing Center, University Career Services, or Student Legal Services.