UNC Scholars Program - Office of Scholarships and Student Aid (2024)

When you apply to UNC you are considered for academic scholarships based on your application for admission your first year. Some Academic Scholarships take financial need into consideration. For fullest consideration for all Academic Scholarships, we recommend completing financial aid applications once they are available after October 1. Scholarships are awarded to students at the time of admissions offers to the University. With the larger majority of scholarships being offered during early action admissions.

If you are an NC resident that receives a full academic scholarship (tuition, fees, housing, and meals) you can find a breakdown of what the scholarship covers with specific dollar amounts on the costs section of our website. Make sure you are looking at the appropriate academic year’s in-state budget.

If you are an out-of-state student who receives a full academic scholarship (tuition, fees, housing, and meals) you will be charged the NC resident cost for tuition purposes.

You can see the amounts for tuition, fees, housing and meals on our cost of attendance webpage. Make sure you are looking at the appropriate academic year’s in-state budget.

You will be considered an in-state student for tuition purposes for up to four years of undergraduate study at UNC starting with your first fall semester, including future summer terms.

The requirements are simple:

• Earn at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA
• Remain in good standing with the University and UNC Honor Court
• Be engaged and available for scholar events that may involve donors

These requirements are outlined in the Scholarship Acceptance Agreement that you must sign before scholarship funds are released to you.

Unfortunately, we are not able to send representatives to High School Awards day programs.

Academic Scholarships are awarded to students at the time of their admission to the University. If information regarding an academic scholarship was not shared with you when you received your admissions decision, unfortunately, you were not offered an academic scholarship.

No, UNC does not have an academic scholarship reconsideration process.

No, unfortunately, due to funding, we make very few scholarship offers to international students. If you do not receive a four-year academic scholarship that covers your costs, you should be prepared to pay fully out-of-pocket. Learn more about potential need-based assistance for international students here.

As a scholar you can take an approved senior underload in your final semester before graduating and still receive the full amount of your Academic Scholarship. Any other need-based aid will be reduced to reflect the reduced charges in tuition and fees (based upon the number of credit hours you ultimately enroll in) and the reduced cost in books.

If your scholarship has not been disbursed to the Cashier’s office, you have a hold on your account. Please check your ConnectCarolina Student Center to see if there are any holds on your account that are preventing your scholarship from being disbursed.

No, academic scholarships do not cover summer classes. Academic scholarships are renewable for up to 8 semesters / 4 years of undergraduate study – not including summer terms. However, if you have a FAFSA on file and enroll in summer classes, you may be eligible for summer financial aid.

*If you are on out-of-state student, you will still be charged the in-state rate for summer classes. However, your scholarship will not cover those classes and will qualify for summer financial aid as a NC Resident.

If your GPA has fallen below 3.0 you do not need to panic. We are here to work with you and support you during your undergraduate studies and give you time to bring your GPA back up. Once grade checks have been completed at the end of each academic year, someone from the UNC Scholars Program will reach out with more information regarding your scholarship and next steps.

If you need to withdraw from the current semester for health reasons, family reasons, etc., please let us know. Your academic scholarship will not be impacted; however, the semester you withdraw from counts as one of your 8 semesters of receiving your scholarship. You should reach out if you have questions throughout the process.