Admissions and Financial Information
General Admissions Information
Application
Special Information
for International Applicants
Funding Opportunities
Departmental Awards
Graduate School Fellowships for Incoming Students
University Merit Assistantships
Other Programs at UNC
External Funding Resources
Graduate Tuition Incentive Scholarship (GTIS)
Graduate School Fellowships for Current Doctoral Students
Financial Aid
North Carolina Residency for Tuition Purposes
The Academic Common Market
General Admissions Information
Welcome. We are pleased that you are considering applying for admission to the UNC–Chapel Hill Graduate School. Admission to Graduate School academic programs is competitive and students are selected on the basis of their academic preparation, ability, and program fit. For some programs, an on-site pre-admissions interview may be required. Early contact with your program of interest can be helpful in preparing your application.
For the most updated admissions information, please check our Web site at gradschool.unc.edu/admissions. Due to final changes in each year's admission process, the Web site will often be more updated than this publication, so we encourage prospective students to begin there.
The Graduate School relies mainly on e-mail to communicate with all applicants. Therefore, please include a current e-mail address on your application and be sure to promptly respond to all correspondence.
Required materials for all applicants include:
• Graduate School application (gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions.html#app)
• Application fee (gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions.html#fee) (nonrefundable $78)
• Transcripts (gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions.html#transcripts) (complete, not selected courses)
One unofficial transcript from each university attended must be uploaded within the application. If offered admission, one paper official transcript for each university attended will be required.
• Current letters of recommendation (gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions.html#ltrs).
• The e-mail address of three recommenders will be required within the application for electronic submission and delivery.
• Standardized test scores (gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions.html#tests) (GRE, GMAT, etc.; no more than five years old.)
• Statement of purpose (gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions.html#purpose)
• Supplemental information (any additional information or materials required by the program; must be uploaded within the application)
For international applicants only:
• TOEFL or IELTS score (gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions.html#toefl) (no more than two years old)
• Financial certificate (gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions.html#fincert) (U.S. Immigration requirement for entry into the United States)
Once we have received all required application materials, the review and evaluation of your application will begin. While the various components of your application will likely arrive at The Graduate School at different times, it is your responsibility to make sure the entire application is complete prior to the deadline.
Application for admission can be made online at gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions.html. Once an account is created, applicants may return to their application at any time to complete the application and view the current status of materials submitted.
Admission Criteria
The minimum requirements for admission to a graduate program are:
• A bachelor's degree (based on a four-year curriculum) completed before graduate study begins or its international equivalent with an accredited institution
• An average grade of B (cumulative GPA 3.0) or better
Along with these minimal requirements, admission decisions are based on a number of factors, including academic degrees and record, written statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, test scores, and relevant work experience. All admission decisions are made by each individual program or department.
Application Process
Applications for admission to the UNC–Chapel Hill Graduate School should be submitted via the online admission application. This is the fastest and most secure method of applying. All required materials listed above should be submitted according to the instructions provided. Your application will not be reviewed until the application fee is received. By submitting an application to UNC–Chapel Hill, consent is granted to University staff to obtain any additional or missing information as needed, including campus safety information.
Most programs admit students for the fall semester only; however, a few programs allow spring or summer session admissions. Please see the listing of application deadlines at gradschool.unc.edu/programs/degreeprograms.html. Contact your intended program for the appropriate term of entry for your application.
Each offered admission is specific for the term stated in the admission letter. If you do not register for classes or complete your first semester, you must apply again in a subsequent semester. Contact your intended program for questions about deferrals of admission offers.
Application Deadlines
Please be aware that each program has a specific application deadline. Please see the listing of deadlines at gradschool.unc.edu/programs/degreeprograms.html.
Completed applications and application fees (nonrefundable) must be received before the program's application deadline. Applications will not be accepted for review or consideration after the posted graduate program deadline has passed. International applicants should apply early in order to allow sufficient time for financial and visa document preparation. The Graduate School recommends that international applicants submit a complete application no later than December 1.
Fellowship and Financial Aid Deadlines
Most of the financial support available to graduate students is based within individual programs. In addition, a limited amount of financial support is available from The Graduate School and is based upon nominations from individual programs. In order to allow sufficient time for your program to nominate you for Graduate School fellowships, your application should be received before December 13.
If your program continues to accept applications after December 13, you are still eligible for its program-based support. Contact your intended program for complete information about available graduate student financial support and relevant deadlines.
The University awards loans and tuition enhancement grants to graduate students who qualify, based on information provided in the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid, www.fafsa.ed.gov) form due March 1. For more information, please visit the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid.
Application Fee
A nonrefundable $78 application fee is required for each program to which you apply.
Applicants can pay their application fee by credit card (Visa/MasterCard) or mail a check, money order, or waiver request addressed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School. For security purposes, the credit card address manually inserted during the final payment process must exactly match the credit card billing address for a successful transaction. Mail-in payments are restricted to a check (in U.S. funds) that contains the pre-printed electronic routing numbers, or an international money order made payable to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Please include your full name, birth date, and program to which you applied.
Applications that arrive without the required application fee will remain on file, unprocessed, pending receipt of the application fee. If someone is paying the application fee for you, please ask that person to include your name as the intended applicant when he/she submits the check or money order.
There are several categories of applicants who may qualify for an application fee waiver. Please see Information on Application Fee Waiver requests (gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/feewaiver.html).
Transcripts
Transcripts of all post-secondary education (including community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs) are required to be uploaded in the application. Unofficial transcripts must be complete (not select courses), issued in the original language, and accompanied by certified English translations when applicable. Transfer credit posted on the transcript of other institutions is not accepted in lieu of transcripts from the institution attended. A transcript from each institution is always required. If the institution will not release official transcripts directly to you, it may send the transcripts directly to the Graduate School.
A note on foreign degrees:
As part of the transcript submission, degree credentials are also reviewed. Assessment of a foreign degree, including those conferred from institutions participating in the Bologna Accords, is based upon the characteristics of a national system of education, the type of institution attended, its accreditation, and the level of studies completed. The following guidelines indicate the level of study expected of international applicants prior to graduate enrollment:
• British patterned education — bachelor's degree with honours
• French patterned education — degree of diplôme requiring four years of post baccalauréat study
• Germany — university Diplom preferred. Applicants with very strong academic records may be considered if they have completed the Staatsexamen, or at least one year of full-time study beyond the Vorprüfung, Zwischenprüfung, or Vordiplom.
• Other European countries — university degree requiring a minimum of four years of study
• Canada — three-year bachelor's degree from Québec; four-year bachelor's degree from all other provinces
• Latin America — university degree requiring a minimum of four years of study
• India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal — bachelor's degree in engineering or medicine; master's degree in all other fields
• Philippines — five-year bachelor's degree or four-year bachelor's degree plus one year of graduate work
• Other Asian countries — university degree requiring a minimum of four years of study
Individuals with only three-year degrees and others who do not meet the educational requirement for graduate admission are welcome to consider other admission options available at www.unc.edu/admissions.
Letters of Recommendation
Three current letters of recommendation from persons qualified to evaluate your academic and professional qualifications are required. You should solicit recommendations from individuals who are familiar with your academic achievement and who can address your potential for success in this particular academic setting. If you have been out of school for a number of years and are unable to contact former professors, letters from other individuals who can address your achievement and potential will be accepted. We advise against using generic letters of recommendation such as those provided by campus career planning and placement offices.
The online application will prompt you to submit the e-mail addresses for your three recommenders.
Hardcopy letters: In the event your recommender prefers paper recommendations, please advise him or her to mail a letterhead document or use our paper form located at gradschool.unc.edu/documents/recform.pdf. The recommendation should be mailed in a sealed envelope with a signature over the flap directly from the recommender to The Graduate School for manual linking to the application.
Standardized Test Scores
Official GRE General Test scores (or GMAT, MCAT, etc., if accepted by your intended program) are required for applicants to all programs except Studio Art, Dentistry (except Oral Biology), and Dramatic Art.
Applicants for fall 2012 should be aware that ETS is changing the GRE General Test format. If your program requires GRE scores before November, you must take the current GRE General Test before August.
If GRE scores are not required until after November, then applicants should take the GRE revised General Test. Applicants who test in August or September 2011 will save 50 percent on their test fee.
No matter which test they take, applicants should register as soon as possible. The last dates for the current GRE General Test are approaching and seats will fill up quickly.
Standardized test scores must be official and reported directly by the Educational Testing Service (ETS, www.ets.org). They must be current and no more than five years old. Standardized test scores that are submitted to this institution are kept on file for only one year.
When you register for any tests, you should indicate the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School (institution #5816) as a score recipient. If you did not specify the UNC–Chapel Hill Graduate School as a score recipient at the time of taking the test, you must promptly ask ETS to send your scores to us (institution #5816). No departmental code is required. While photocopies of score reports are useful for informal evaluation, the official report of your scores must arrive before final review and admission can be offered. GMAT scores should be sent to UNC (c/o KFBS) Program Code D40-HL-(select appropriate major code).
Applicants who already hold a research or professional doctorate degree may be exempted from the standardized test score requirement at a program's request. Applicants near completion of a doctoral degree may request an exemption based on the receipt of appropriate degree verification status from the university registrar of the institution. If the degree or official verification is not received, the standardized scores will remain a requirement. International applicants must also submit official TOEFL or IELTS standardized test scores (see below).
Statement of Purpose
All graduate programs require a written statement to be uploaded within your application. The form and content requirements may vary by program, so before applying, please read the information and instructions specific to your intended program. Your written statement is a critical component of your application for admission, and can sometimes be the determining factor in approval of admittance or financial support. Therefore, your statement should reflect your professional goals, as well as familiarity with the program and faculty at UNC–Chapel Hill.
Campus Safety Information
Applicants for admission will be asked several questions regarding criminal pleas, charges and convictions, academic suspensions, and military discharges. Transcripts from every college or university attended must be provided. If additional information is needed, you may be asked to submit information for a criminal background check, including a nominal fee. You must describe violations of law in your home country and in any other country in which you have resided. The term "law" includes codes, legal rules, and regulations, and other criminal-type statutes or violations of municipal, local, provincial, state, federal, national, commonwealth, and other governmental jurisdiction. Failure to provide complete, accurate, and truthful information will be grounds to deny or withdraw your admission, or to dismiss you after enrollment. The same actions will occur if you fail to notify the Admissions Office promptly in writing of such charges that occur at any time after you submit the application.
Instructions for Submitting Your Application
The Graduate School programs prefer to receive applications online, and those received with the application fee (paid by credit card) are processed on the same or the next business day.
Electronic submission to The Graduate School:
• online application
• application fee, paid by credit card as instructed in the online application
Application Status
You may monitor the status of your application at my.unc.edu/dt.
Special Information for International Applicants
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill encourages a diverse student body and welcomes applicants from all over the world. Together with the instructions above, international applicants should also submit two additional pieces of information with their application. The Graduate School understands it is difficult and sometimes confusing to apply to universities in another country, and we will assist you in clarifying requirements whenever possible.
TOEFL or IELTS Score
All international applicants must submit acceptable, official (reported directly from ETS.org) TOEFL scores or IELTS (reported directly from IELTS.org). We accept no other English language tests.
We recommend that you plan to take any required exams no later than October to allow time for scores to arrive in time for consideration for fall admission.
Standardized test scores must be official and are reportable for a period of two years from the date of the exam. Exam results more than two years old cannot be considered. Standardized test scores that are submitted to this institution are kept on file for only one year.
When you register for any tests, you should indicate the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School as a score recipient. If you did not specify the UNC–Chapel Hill Graduate School as a score recipient at the time of taking the test, you must promptly ask to send your scores to us. While photocopies of score reports are useful for informal evaluation, the official report of your scores must arrive before final review and admission can be offered.
There are several categories of applicants who may qualify for an exception to the TOEFL exam:
• Those from countries where English is the SOLE OFFICIAL language of instruction (Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada—except Quebec, England, Ghana, Ireland, India, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Scotland, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad, Tobego, Uganda, and Wales)
• Those who have received or will receive a degree from an accredited university in the United States. (If you are currently enrolled at a U.S. institution, you must submit an official transcript or verification of degree candidate status from that institution to qualify for a TOEFL or IELTS waiver. If the degree or an official verification is not received, the score will again be required.)
The required minimum total scores on the exams are:
• The paper-based TOEFL exam = 550 with a minimum of 50 in each section
• The Internet-based TOEFL exam = 79
• The IELTS exam = 7
Some programs have their own minimal score requirements which are higher than those stated above, in which case these higher standards will be required.
All newly admitted international students are required to take an English proficiency exam prior to enrolling for classes. Individuals who fail to achieve a passing score on this exam are required to register for a noncredit English course (ENGL 601) their first semester of enrollment. Failure to take the test and/or register for the required course will prevent future registrations.
Financial Certificate
A completed Financial Certificate (gradschool.unc.edu/documents/2011-12FinancialCertificate.pdf) and supporting materials must be uploaded within the application. In order to meet U.S. Immigration requirements for entry into the United States, proof of sufficient financial resources to cover educational and living expenses for the duration of your program must be in place before visa documents can be issued.
The completed financial certificate should outline financial support available to you. You should attach original evidence to support the amounts indicated (bank statements, scholarship letters, etc.). Please also attach a photocopy of the identification page of your passport.
The financial certificate is also required for international students currently residing in the United States. The University does not have special travel or study scholarships for international students.
We suggest that international applicants in need of financial aid write to the Institute of International Education, 809 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, or review the IIE Web site at www.iie.org.
The University's Office of Scholarships and Student Aid (studentaid.unc.edu) can only fund students who are U.S. citizens, nationals, permanent residents with I-151 or I-551 Alien Registration Receipt Cards, permanent residents of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Trust Territory or the Pacific Islands, and other noncitizens who have Arrival-Departure Records (I-94) showing "refugee" or "adjustment applicant" or official grant of asylum in the United States. Students who meet these requirements should apply for financial assistance before March 1.
Information concerning visa, U.S. immigration, or financial certificate matters can be obtained from our Office of International Student and Scholar Services (oisss.unc.edu). Please follow the mailing instructions above and do not mail admission materials directly to OISSS.
Decision Notification
Although individual programs may notify applicants of their recommendation regarding admission, official notification of the decision will come directly from The Graduate School. As a member of the Council of Graduate Schools, the UNC Graduate School has agreed to honor the April 15 deadline that applicants are given for responding to fall offers of admission. Every effort will be made to give sufficient notice regarding admission decisions prior to this deadline. Where an early decision is not possible, applicants can expect final notification regarding their application no less than two months before the beginning of the relevant semester.
The Graduate School offers a variety of funding opportunities to assist graduate students in funding their graduate programs from admission through graduation. The Graduate School provides information and support to students applying for external fellowships, as well as providing fellowships and other direct financial support to graduate students, which supplements what the individual department provides. For updated information, please see our Funding Resources Web site (gradschool.unc.edu/funding).
Teaching and Research Assistantships
The majority of assistantships available to graduate students are awarded by academic departments. Approximately 2,500 graduate, research, and teaching assistantships are available through specific departments. Graduate assistantships are also available through the University's various research institutes and centers. Stipends, responsibilities, selection criteria, and application and notification procedures vary from department to department. Applicants should discuss with the program to which they are applying (see gradschool.unc.edu/programs/degreeprograms.html) the specific funding opportunities available through graduate programs.
Federal/State Fellowships and Traineeships
A number of state and federally funded fellowships and traineeships are also available in some departments. Students must be pursuing graduate training in specified fields of study to be eligible for these awards. Interested students should request additional information from their academic departments.
Application Deadline
Prospective students may indicate when applying for admission their interest in an assistantship and should discuss application deadlines with their prospective departments.
Questions
Contact the department to which you are applying (see gradschool.unc.edu/programs/degreeprograms.html).
Graduate School Fellowships for Incoming Students
Royster Society of Fellows
Purpose
The Royster Society of Fellows includes fellowships named for Dr. Thomas S. Royster and Mrs. Caroline H. Royster, Mrs. Victor Humphreys, William R. Kenan Jr., John Motley Morehead, Joseph E. Pogue, and William N. Reynolds. These fellowships support exceptionally talented doctoral students. In addition to a very competitive financial award, a Fellowship in the Royster Society of Fellows supports and nurtures members through the mentoring of senior faculty, interdisciplinary learning, and leadership development opportunities. For more information about Royster Society of Fellows, visit gradschool.unc.edu/programs/royster.
Eligibility
All new students entering a doctoral degree program at UNC–Chapel Hill.
Application Deadline
Prospective students cannot apply directly for this fellowship but are nominated by the graduate program to which they are applying. If you are interested in being nominated for this award, please contact your department (see gradschool.unc.edu/programs/degreeprograms.html). To ensure full consideration for Graduate School funding, applicants should submit their complete application for admission to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as early as possible. We strongly recommend your full application be received by The Graduate School by December 15.
Awards
Awards provide a competitive stipend, tuition, fees, and health insurance each academic year for five years. The first and last years are nonservice awards, but Fellows may perform teaching and research activities for their departments in the intervening years. Fellows receive additional travel funds to present research findings at national conferences. Fellows have the opportunity to develop mentoring relationships with senior faculty and to engage in interdisciplinary forums and discussions.
Selection
Graduate programs nominate a limited number of their most promising applicants into a university-wide competition. The Fellowship Committee and Royster Society of Fellows faculty then select applicants who will receive fellowship offers in March.
Questions
Contact the department to which you are applying (see gradschool.unc.edu/programs/degreeprograms.html), or e-mail gradfunding@unc.edu.
Weiss Urban Livability Fellowships
Purpose
Endowed through generous gifts from Professors Emeriti Charles and Shirley Weiss, this program provides students with an interest in urban livability a competitive financial award and an opportunity for interdisciplinary learning in the area of urban livability. For more information about Weiss Fellows, visit gradschool.unc.edu/programs/weiss.
Eligibility
New students entering a doctoral or masters program at UNC-Chapel Hill. The fellowship is open to students in any discipline, but applicants' research and career interests should ultimately address issues of urban livability.
Application Deadline
Prospective students cannot apply directly for this assistantship but are nominated by the graduate program to which they are applying. If you are interested in being nominated for this award please contact your department (see gradschool.unc.edu/programs/degreeprograms.html). To ensure full consideration for Graduate School funding, applicants should submit their complete application for admission to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as early as possible. We strongly recommend your full application be received by The Graduate School by December 15.
Awards
Awards provide a competitive stipend, tuition and health insurance. The Weiss Urban Livability Fellows meet regularly within an interdisciplinary forum to discuss and collaborate on topics of mutual interest. Guest lecturers and senior faculty from various departments meet with and provide mentoring for the fellows throughout the year.
Selection
Graduate programs nominate a limited number of their most promising applicants into a University-wide competition. The Weiss ULP Faculty Board then selects applicants who will receive fellowship offers.
Questions
Contact the department to which you are applying (see gradschool.unc.edu/programs/degreeprograms.html) or e-mail gradfunding@unc.edu.
University Merit Assistantships
Purpose
Merit assistantships are one-year awards that provide a competitive stipend for entering master's/doctoral students and students entering professional, terminal degree master's programs.
Application Deadline
Prospective students cannot apply directly for this assistantship but are nominated by the graduate program to which they are applying. If you are interested in being nominated for this award please contact your department (see gradschool.unc.edu/programs/degreeprograms.html). To ensure full consideration for Graduate School funding, applicants should submit their complete application for admission to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as early as possible. We strongly recommend your full application be received by the Graduate School by December 15.
Awards
Awards provide a competitive stipend, tuition and health insurance. Students pay only fees. Students awarded university merit assistantships will assist with teaching or research activities, not to exceed 20 hours per week, within their department.
Selection
Graduate programs nominate a limited number of their most promising applicants into a University-wide competition. The Fellowship Committee of the Graduate School then selects applicants who will receive assistantship offers.
Questions
Contact the department to which you are applying (see gradschool.unc.edu/programs/degreeprograms.html) or e-mail gradfunding@unc.edu.
UNC Campus Scholarship (formerly the Native American Incentive Grant)
1) Financial need will be the chief criterion for UNC Campus Scholarships for each new incoming class of “tribal eligible” Native American students. Award amounts will be guaranteed up to a maximum of $2,000 per academic year for on-time financial aid applicants. (On-time applicants must submit Profile and FAFSA forms by March 1 each year.)
Recipients must show proof of tribal affiliation. (This process is managed by Marcus Collins, Assistant Dean, Office of Student Academic Counseling, who will notify OSSA of “tribal eligible” students.)
Awards will be renewable as long as recipients demonstrate financial need and maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (reviewed at the end of each academic year).
2) Any surplus funds remaining after condition #1 has been met will be distributed equally among remaining eligible Native American incoming students, up to a maximum of $2,000, depending on availability.
Non-need based awards are not renewable, though recipients of these one-time awards should nonetheless apply for financial aid by the priority deadline each subsequent year to determine eligibility for the need-based awards.
If, in the unexpected event that any surplus remains after conditions # 1 and # 2 have been met, funds will be used to augment the financial aid packages of aid-eligible Native American students.
Return completed form and tribal documentation to:
Office for Student Academic Counseling
Attn: Marcus Collins, Assistant Dean
CB# 3437, 105A Abernethy Hall
UNC–Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
• Rotary World Peace Fellowship at UNC (for international students only) (www.rotary.org/en/StudentsAndYouth/EducationalPrograms/RotaryCentersForInternationalStudies/Pages/ridefault.aspx)
Nationally Competitive Fellowship Opportunities
The following is a partial list of external fellowship opportunities. Please visit the GrantSource Library (research.unc.edu/offices/grantsource/index.htm) for comprehensive information on funding opportunities.
• AAUW Educational Foundation American Fellowship (www.aauw.org/fga/fellowships_grants/index.cfm)
• Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (www.woodrow.org/newcombe)
• DOD National Defense Science and Engineering Fellowship (www.asee.org/ndseg)
• Ford Predoctoral Fellowships for Minorities (www7.nationalacademies.org/fordfellowships/fordpredoc.html)
• Ford Dissertation Fellowships for Minorities (www7.nationalacademies.org/fordfellowships/forddiss.html)
• Fulbright Fellowships and Related Grants for Work Abroad (www.iie.org/fulbright)
• Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Program (www.ed.gov/programs/iegpsddrap)
• Jacob K. Javits Fellowship Program (www.ed.gov/programs/iegpsjavits)
• NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program (fellowships.hq.nasa.gov/gsrp/nav)
• National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship (www.nsfgradfellows.org)
• Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans (www.pdsoros.org/a_instruction.html)
• Spencer Dissertation Fellowship Program (www.spencer.org/programs/fellows/dissertation.htm)
• SSRC International Dissertation Field Research Fellowship (programs.ssrc.org/idrf)
Graduate Tuition Incentive Scholarship (GTIS)
Purpose
Graduate Tuition Incentive Scholarships (GTIS) are for graduate students receiving external funding in support of their thesis or dissertation research which does not include tuition.
Eligibility
This scholarship is available to masters and doctoral students in a program within the UNC Graduate School. Students must be enrolled full-time and in good standing with their department. Students in distance education or certificate programs are not eligible.
Questions
For additional information, visit the GTIS Web site at gradschool.unc.edu/funding/gtis.html.
Graduate School Fellowships for Current Doctoral Students
The Graduate School offers the following fellowships for current University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill doctoral students:
• Dissertation Completion Research Fellowships (gradschool.unc.edu/funding/dissertation.html)
• Society of Fellows Dissertation Fellowships (gradschool.unc.edu/funding/dissertation.html)
• Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowships (gradschool.unc.edu/funding/offcampusdiss.html)
• Summer Research Fellowship (gradschool.unc.edu/funding/summerresearch.html)
For further information, please see our Funding Resources Web site (gradschool.unc.edu/funding)
The Office of Scholarships and Student Aid works with graduate students who need financial aid to meet the costs of attending the University. Financial support may be available through small grants, from federal or private lender loan programs, and from the federal work-study program, in the form of either hourly paid campus jobs or teaching/research assistantships.
To be eligible for financial aid programs administered by the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid, a student must be enrolled in a degree program on at least a half-time basis, a United States citizen or permanent resident, making satisfactory progress toward completion of the academic program, and, if applicable, registered for Selective Service. The student may not be in default on a loan previously received for college expenses nor owe a refund on a scholarship, grant, or loan from a previous enrollment period.
Graduate students who wish to apply for financial aid to meet the costs of attending the University must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The application should be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. However, a paper application may be obtained from high schools, most college financial aid offices or in person at the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid. In completing the FAFSA, the student must list UNC–Chapel Hill (code number 002974) as one of the schools to receive the FAFSA information. The information on the FAFSA will be analyzed by an agency contracted by the federal government. The agency will send information and an analysis of the student's eligibility for financial aid funds to both the student and to the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid.
A student should not wait for admission to a graduate program before applying for aid. An applicant should submit the FAFSA by February 15. If additional documentation is needed to complete a student's application for financial assistance, the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid will notify the student. A student who completes the file promptly can expect to receive notice of an award decision early in June.
Additional information about financial aid procedures and programs can be obtained from the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid, 300 Pettigrew Hall, P.O. Box 1080, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. The office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The telephone number is (919) 962-8396; telephone hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. More detailed information is also available at studentaid.unc.edu.
North Carolina Residency for Tuition Purposes
For Graduate School students only, go to gradschool.unc.edu/residency/index.html for residency requirements, guidelines, due dates, and online application.
The Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill proudly participates in the Academic Common Market (ACM). Facilitated by the Southern Regional Education Board (www.sreb.org), the ACM is a cooperative arrangement among universities in 16 states in the southeastern United States. Applicants accepted into one of the following graduate programs at Carolina, and who qualify and are selected for the ACM, are charged tuition (cashiers.unc.edu/stufininfo.htm) at the in-state rate.
To qualify for the ACM you first need to be accepted in one of the graduate programs listed on the ACM Web site at gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/common_mkt.html.
Once accepted, you will need to contact the ACM coordinator in your home state. You can find the name of your ACM home coordinator at https://acm.rti.org/contact/viewcontact.cfm?show=other. Your ACM state coordinator will need to verify that you are a legal resident of that state and the program for which you have been accepted is not offered in your home state. Available slots for qualified ACM students are limited.