Expenses

The Board of Governors of the university reserves the right to change the charges for tuition, fees and the room and board rate at any time without prior notice.

Tuition and Fees (in effect at time of publication)

All charges on the student account are due and payable per published dates on the Student Accounts website to avoid class cancellation and/or registration, transcript, and diploma hold. Online payments can be made via E-bill (www.uncw.edu/e-bill). Checks and money orders should be made payable to the University of North Carolina Wilmington and include the student’s identification number.

University of North Carolina Wilmington is implementing the Fixed Tuition Program as required by North Carolina General Statute § 116-143.9. As required, beginning with the fall 2016 semester, tuition rates at all UNC institutions will be fixed for eight consecutive semesters for all resident bachelor’s degree-seeking freshmen. Tuition rates for other currently enrolled resident undergraduates and eligible transfer students will be fixed for an appropriate number of consecutive semesters.  For more information please see the Student Accounts and Cashier Office website.

Full-Time Charges per Semester (12 or more semester hours):

For fixed tuition rates by cohort please see the Student Accounts and Cashier Office website.

*See information on residency at the end of this section.

Other Fees:

Fall 2017 Extension Rates

Orientation

All new students (freshmen, transfers and unclassified) are required to attend an orientation program prior to the beginning of their first term. The purpose of orientation is to acquaint students with academic requirements, campus services, and involvement opportunities. During orientation, students will work with an academic advisor, take placement tests as needed, and register for classes.  Registration for orientation is required in advance. Refer to your Teal Ticket in MySeaport for registration deadlines and instructions.

All international students are required to attend the international student orientation sessions in addition to the appropriate UNCW freshman, transfer or graduate orientations. Please contact the Office of International Programs for additional information and upcoming orientation schedules.

Health Insurance

Health insurance is required for all UNCW students who meet the following three criteria:

• Enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester for undergraduates or 1 credit hour for graduate students
• Enrolled in a degree-seeking program and
• Eligible to pay the UNCW student health fee

Students who have their own insurance and do not want to purchase the insurance through the school must complete an on-line waiver each term, providing details about their current insurance plan. Any student who does not waive out of the insurance plan will be charged the premium and automatically enrolled in the program.

Charge for Registration Reinstatement of Tuition and Fees

A course registration reinstatement charge will be assessed to students who fail to pay tuition and fees by published deadlines. Students who have not paid tuition and fees by the deadline are subject to cancellation of their registration. Students who have been canceled for non-payment may re-register for the exact classes canceled with a $75 registration reinstatement charge. Appeals for course reinstatement after the add/drop date may be submitted to the Dean of the student’s major. Non-attendance or non-payment does not relieve a student of tuition liability. Students who do not plan to attend classes for a term must officially withdraw from the semester. 

TealPay Payment Plan Term Enrollment Fee

Students have the option to enroll in one of UNCW’s TealPay payment plans. Three options are available each term to pay the charges on the student’s account with three, four or five installment payments during the term.  Enrollment fees are non-refundable.

Tuition Surcharge

After the fixed tuition period has expired, tuition surcharge shall be applied according to current regulation 1000.1.5 [R].
Students who take more than 140 degree credit hours to complete a baccalaureate degree in a four-year program, or more than 110 percent of the credit hours necessary to complete a baccalaureate degree in any program officially designated by the Board of Governors as a five-year program, shall be subject to a 50 percent tuition charge.

Note: The State Scholarship Program for Children of War Veterans administered by the North Carolina Division of Veterans Affairs will not cover the 50% tuition surcharge. Responsibility for the surcharge would be placed on the student.

Counted Credit Hours

The undergraduate credit hours to be counted for this requirement include: (1) those courses taken at the constituent institution or accepted for transfer, (2) failed courses, and (3) those courses not completed unless officially dropped by the student consistent with the academic policy of the appropriate constituent institution. All credit hours transferred after August 15, 2013, shall be included for tuition surcharge calculation purposes regardless of their application to the student’s major or minor, unless otherwise exempted consistent with this regulation.

However, the following credit hours shall be excluded from the calculation:
(1) those earned through the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or similar programs
(2) those earned through institutional advanced placement, course validation, or any similar procedure for awarding course credit
(3) those earned through summer session or extension programs on the campus or at another institution
(4) Military Science courses required to earn a military commission
(5) credits earned from private and out of state colleges and universities transferred prior to August 15, 2013.

In addition, and consistent with this regulation, credit hours taken while enrolled as a high school student shall be excluded from the tuition surcharge calculation.

Students Subject to the Surcharge

The surcharge shall be imposed on all counted credit hours in excess of the threshold defined below for each of the following three categories of undergraduates:

1. For students earning a first baccalaureate degree in a program that requires no more than 128 credit hours, the surcharge shall be applied to all counted credit hours in excess of 140.
2. For students earning a first baccalaureate degree in a Board-approved program that requires more than 128 counted credit hours, the surcharge shall be applied to all credit hours that exceed 110% of the credit hours required for the degree. Such programs include those that have been officially designated by the Board of Governors as five-year programs, as well as those involving double majors or combined bachelor’s/master’s degrees.
3. For students earning a baccalaureate degree other than the first, the surcharge shall be applied to all Tuition Surcharge hours that exceed 110% of the minimum additional credit hours needed to earn the additional baccalaureate degree. The minimum additional credit hours will be determined at the time of admission to studies for the second or other baccalaureate degree.

Students Exempt from the Surcharge

The surcharge shall not be imposed on undergraduates who:

1. Complete a first baccalaureate degree program that has not been officially designated by the Board of Governors as a five-year program and whose counted credit hours were earned in eight or fewer regular term semesters or the equivalent; or
2. Complete a first baccalaureate degree program that has been officially designated by the Board of Governors as a five-year program and take their counted credit hours in 10 or fewer regular term semesters or the equivalent.

Calculation of the Surcharge

The surcharge shall be imposed on tuition charged in the current semester and in subsequent semesters where a student’s cumulative credit hour total–including that semester’s course load–exceeds the threshold. The surcharge does not apply to required fees.

Voluntary On-Campus Housing or Off-Campus Living – Meal Plans

UNCW offers voluntary meal plans for students living off campus or in Voluntary On-Campus Housing, consisting of Seahawk Village, Seahawk Landing, or Seahawk Crossing. The plans are designed to give students the convenience of using their One Card instead of carrying cash.

Meal Plan Rolling: The student’s Fall semester meal plan will be automatically assigned to the student for the Spring semester. Changes to meal plans, including an option to cancel an automatically assigned meal plan, can be made in MySeaport before the change period end date. For a list of current change period dates and additional details, please visit the UNCW student meal plan website at www.uncw.edu/studentmealplans.

Any unused Food Dollars will roll provided the student has a meal plan in the following semester, form the Summer Sessions to the Fall semester and from the Fall semester to the Spring semester. Any unused Food Dollars at the end of the Spring semester are non-refundable and cannot be transferred to the new academic year or Summers sessions. 

2017-2018 On-Campus Voluntary or Off-Campus Meal Plans

On-Campus Living

The university currently has residence facilities for over 4,143 students in eight modern, conveniently located residence halls, 26 apartment buildings, and eleven suite-style buildings.

All buildings are equipped with air-conditioning, telephone service, and basic cable television service. Ethernet computer networking, which allows student computers to access university software, has been installed in all residential facilities. Laundry facilities are available. New incoming freshmen will be required to maintain residency on campus for their first year, unless an application for exemption is approved due to maintaining a primary residence with their parents or legal guardian within Brunswick County, New Hanover County or Pender County areas. On-Campus Required Housing resident students: Belk, Galloway, Graham, Hewlett, Schwartz, Cornerstone, Honors, Innovation House, University Apartments, or University Suites, are required to participate in one of two On-Campus Required meal plans. Seahawk Village, Seahawk Landing, and Seahawk Crossing residents are not required to have a university meal plan but are strongly encouraged to sign up for one of the smaller plans with food dollars to help meet their busy schedules.

All On-Campus Housing Meal Plans feature Teal Meals that can be used for a specified combo meal of your choice at the following Campus Dining locations: Port City Java, Dunkin Donuts, The Landing, Einstein’s Bros Bagels, Hawk’s Nest Food Court, Chick-fil-A, Subway and MOOYAH. Each meal plan also features Food Dollars that can be used at any campus dining location, as well as vending machines and at the Barnes and Nobles Starbucks Cafe. The plan also comes with All Access Meals that provide unlimited entry into Wagoner Hall or Dub’s Cafe. All Access plans ensure that students never go hungry! Dining locations throughout campus offer a wide selection of food and beverages. During winter and spring break, residential facilities are closed with the exception of Seahawk Village, Seahawk Landing, Seahawk Crossing, A-M Apartments, and the University Suites (O-U).

On-Campus Required Housing – Meal Plans

A meal plan is required for all undergraduate and graduate students who plan to live in on-campus required housing, which includes Belk, Galloway, Graham, Hewlett, Schwartz, Cornerstone, Honors, Innovation House, University Apartments, or University Suites. Students living in any of these facilities need to select one of two required on-campus housing meal plan options.

Meal plans transactions are facilitated on students’ UNCW One Card and it must be presented at every meal. Student ID cards are not transferable. Both plans allow students to treat a friend or family member by using a guest meal at Wagoner Dining Hall and Dub’s Caf, or by using their food dollars or Teal Meals. Teal Meals do NOT carry over from one week to the next.

Meal Plan Rolling: The student’s Fall semester meal plan will be automatically assigned to the student for the Spring semester. Changes to meal plans can be made in MySeaport before the change period end date. For a list of current change period dates and additional details, please visit the UNCW One Card student meal plan website at www.uncw.edu/studentmealplans.

Any unused Food Dollars will roll provided the student has a meal plan in the following semester, from the Summer Sessions to the Fall semester and from the Fall semester to the Spring semester. Any unused Food Dollars at the end of the Spring semester are non-refundable and cannot be transferred to the new academic year or Summers sessions. 

2017-2018 On-Campus Housing Meal Plans

Room Rates

Room rates are set annually by the university’s Board of Trustees during their December meeting. The most recent set of approved rates is available from the Office of Housing and Residence Life.

Annual contracts are for the full academic year consisting of both the fall and spring semesters. Room rates include utilities, local telephone service, high speed Ethernet service, Wi-Fi, cable television service, security and housekeeping (with the exception of the University Apartments (A-M), Seahawk Village, Seahawk Landing, and Seahawk Crossing).

The university reserves the right to change on-campus housing rates at any time without prior notice. A non-refundable housing fee must be remitted with each completed contract. Timely submission of the housing contract and $105 contract fee is highly recommended. Assignments will be made on a first come, first serve basis. Once all beds are assigned, Housing and Residence Life will start a waiting list. The waiting list will remain in effect through the opening of the residential facilities on August 12, 2017.

2017-2018 Housing Rates

If you are interested in obtaining information regarding campus housing, please contact:

Housing and Residence Life Office
University of North Carolina Wilmington
601 South College Road
Wilmington, North Carolina 28403-5959
Telephone: (910) 962-3241 Fax: (910) 962-7032

Summer Sessions

Summer sessions tuition, fees, refund policy, and room and board rates will be listed on the summer sessions Web page www.uncw.edu/summer.

UNCW Refund Policy – Fall and Spring Semesters

The university’s refund policy complies with the requirements of the university’s accrediting agency and the U.S. Department of Education. This refund policy only applies to complete withdrawals from UNCW. Students who simply withdraw from an individual class after the drop/add period receive NO refund or reduction of fees.

Students must follow the official withdrawal process to receive a refund under the university’s policy. To officially withdraw from the university, students must withdraw online via mySeaport. Any outstanding financial obligations to the university will be deducted from the amount refunded.

A student who officially withdraws from the university on or before the last day of registration (drop/add) period will receive a refund of the amount paid. Refunds are based on the date contained on the Official Withdrawal Form. The Tuition/Fees Credit Schedule is posted on the Student Accounts website.

Students completely withdrawing will receive refunds as follows:

This refund policy applies to complete withdrawals from UNCW. Note: Before officially withdrawing, students should check with their financial aid counselor to understand any financial aid implications.

UNCW Refund Policy - Summer Sessions

Because of the short duration of summer school sessions, summer session charges are not refundable after the drop/add period.

Residence Status for Tuition Purposes

Residency classification for new, incoming students is determined by the North Carolina Residency Determination Service (RDS), an online request service.

The basis for determining the appropriate tuition charge rests upon whether a student is a resident or a nonresident for tuition purposes.

INITIAL CONSIDERATION

The initial consideration is the first step in the residency process. Every applicant is initially classified as either a resident or non-resident for tuition purposes by completing an online residency determination request. Applicants for admission to a state-supported college or university and students seeking to establish their eligibility for state grants may complete the initial consideration process before, during, or after submitting an application for admission. The majority of students will complete only this first step in the residency process and will be finished after initial consideration . Residency classifications are valid for 15 months, and only need to be completed once, irrespective of how many schools to which a student applies. RDS will share the student’s same classification with each school, ensuring consistency across schools.

As part of the residency determination process, RDS validates the accuracy of the information provided in the RDS online interview with federal and North Carolina state agencies. All students are required to provide a unique identification number such as social security number (SSN), individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN), alien registration number (ARN/A-number), or US Citizenship and Immigration Service number (CIS) to complete a residency determination. These identification numbers may also be required for parents and/or spouses, dependent upon the information provided during the online interview. If a student is unwilling to provide one of these identification numbers, RDS is unable to validate the information with federal and state agencies and the student will be classified a non-resident for tuition purposes.

RECONSIDERATION

The RDS reconsideration process is for students who:

• need to correct certain errors in the data submitted during the RDS online interview,
• have had a change in personal circumstances since completing their current determination, or
• did not submit the required documentation within the initial consideration timelines.

Students who request reconsideration will be required to complete the online interview process again based upon their current situation. Submitting a request for reconsideration does not guarantee the residency classification will change from non-resident to resident. The following is a listing of personal changes in circumstance:

• Active duty military changes for self or family and/or discharge from the military
• Change in duration of living in NC and evidence of domiciliary acts
• Marriage to an NC resident
• Death of parent(s)
• Change in immigration or US citizenship status
• Change in financial self-sufficiency
• Relocation to NC by individual and/or family
• Your college or university asked you to update your current residency determination

RDS APPEALS

The RDS Appeal process is for students whose circumstances have not changed but who believe their residency classification is incorrect. Students have the ability to provide additional information and documentation relating to their appeal request. Some students will also have the ability for a face-to-face appeal hearing with RDS.

Students have ten calendar days from the date of the determination they are appealing, or a status change due to a failed validation, to submit a Notification of Appeal through the RDS online system.

Requests for appeals are not accepted after the deadline and the student’s classification will remain non-resident. In order to submit a Notification of Appeal, students are required to complete the following:

1. Read an overview of the appeal process
2. Read the RDS Guidebook
3. Read the North Carolina state laws specific to residency for tuition purposes
4. Certify they have read the required appeal information

These reviews provide students with basic information about what is relevant to determining residency and help them develop a more complete and accurate appeal. North Carolina is not a checklist state, meaning that residency for tuition purposes or state financial aid is not based on performing a specific set of acts. All of the information a student provides during the online interview and through supporting documentation is taken into consideration and is used to determine whether a preponderance (or greater weight) of evidence supports the establishment of North Carolina domicile at least 12 months prior to a request for residency.

For more information about the North Carolina Residency Determination Service and additional appeal levels, visit https://ncresidency.cfnc.org/.