Tuition Remission and In-State Tuition Awards
Funding opportunities for UNC-CH graduate students include:
Most of these awards provide full tuition support through tuition remission and in-state tuition awards. All teaching and research assistantships, as well as most fellowships and traineeships, provide health insurance.
Types of Tuition Support
Tuition Remission
A tuition remission reduces your tuition to the in-state rate. For out-of-state students only.
In-State Tuition Award
An in-state tuition award provides full support for the cost of in-state tuition. This benefit includes tuition only, not student fees.
Tuition Support for In-State and Out-of-State Students
Tuition support varies based on in-state or out-of-state residency status.
Out-of-state students
Out-of-state students may receive both a tuition remission award as well as an in-state tuition award. These two funding sources, used in combination, provide full tuition support.
Out-of-state students must receive a tuition remission to be eligible for an in-state tuition award.
In-state students
In-state students may receive an in-state tuition award.
See Graduate Student Handbook for additional information.
Eligibility
To be eligible for an in-state tuition award or tuition remission:
Enrollment Requirements
You must be a full-time, on-campus, degree-seeking doctoral or master's/doctoral sequence students. You may also be eligible if you are a student in a terminal master's program.
You must be enrolled full-time for the entire semester to be eligible for tuition support.
A full-time student is one who is matriculated and for each term:
- Registers for 9 or more graduate credit hours in a fall or spring term
OR
- Registers for a minimum of 3 hours of thesis substitute (992), thesis (993), or dissertation (994) in a fall, spring, or summer term. A student may register for additional courses as needed, but if registering for less than 9 hours, this must include a minimum of 3 hours of 992/993/994 to be considered full-time
OR
- Registers for fewer than 9 graduate credit hours in a fall, spring, or summer term, exclusive of 992/993/994, and has been granted a “waiver of hours” for that term.
There is no minimum credit-hour requirement during the summer sessions (neither tuition remission nor in-state tuition awards are available for summer enrollment).
Assistantship Requirements
You must be appointed by the University as a Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, or Fellow/Trainee. You must hold the assistantship for the entire semester.
Graduate Assistant (GA) Rank Code 20
Graduate Assistants are not eligible for tuition remission or in-state awards.
Research Assistant (RA) Rank Code 21
A full-time graduate student who is engaged in research activities directly related to their program of study under the supervision or in collaboration with a member of the graduate faculty.
Teaching Assistant (TA) Rank Code 22
A full-time graduate student who regularly teaches a class or classes, supervises recitation section, has full responsibility of a course, leads discussion sections, grades papers and exams, or supervises a laboratory section or sections. TAs are under the supervision of a member of the graduate faculty.
Predoctoral Fellow/Trainee - Rank Code 23 or Non-Service award
A full-time graduate student who holds a sponsored fellowship or traineeship, and receives a stipend or training payment (e.g., NSF Fellowship, NIH Training Grant, or Graduate School Fellow).
Minimum Stipend Requirements
In order to qualify for an in-state tuition award or tuition remission, you must receive a minimum RA/TA stipend.
| Minimum Stipend to Qualify for Tuition Support (2012-2013) | |
| Doctoral programs and Master’s/Doctoral Programs: $7,000/semester (RAs) $7,350/semester (TAs) |
Terminal Master’s Programs: $5,000/semester (RAs) $5,350/semester (TAs) |
| Minimum Stipend to Qualify for Tuition Support (2013-2014) | |
| Doctoral programs and Master’s/Doctoral Programs: $7,600/semester (RAs and TAs) |
Terminal Master’s Programs: $5,550/semester (RAs and TAs) |
Duration of Support
Tuition Support awards come from a fund that is specifically designated for graduate tuition known as the “designated tuition fund.” This fund is administered by The Graduate School.
| Maximum Duration of Tuition Support | |
| Doctoral programs and Master’s/Doctoral Programs: 10 semesters |
Terminal Master’s Programs: 4 semesters |
If you complete a degree in one academic program, then enroll in another academic program, OR, if you change academic programs without receiving a degree, you are only eligible for the maximum semesters of eligibility as noted above during your enrollment at the University, or no more than ten semesters.
If you are no longer eligible for tuition support from the designated tuition fund, there may be other resources available from state, private or grant funds at the departmental level. If such funds are available, you may use those funds to pay the equivalent of in-state tuition, as long as you are paid a salary from the funding source and any payments meet specific criteria of those funding sources.
Deadlines for Eligibility
Appointment Deadline
You must be appointed to your assistantship no later than the first day of classes (as indicated in the Academic Calendar) for the relevant semester.
Registration Deadline
You must be registered no later than the last day to register/add classes (as indicated in the Academic Calendar).
Contact Us
Graduate School Fellowships Office
gradfunding@unc.edu