Fixed Tuition Program
Effective immediately, each University of North Carolina (UNC) constituent institution is implementing the Fixed Tuition Program as required by North Carolina General Statute § 116-143.9. Thanks to this bold legislation passed by the 2016 General Assembly, in-state undergraduates at our public universities will have the opportunity to complete a degree quickly and affordably.
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.
Continuous Enrollment is defined as a student being consecutively enrolled at a UNC higher education institution in fall and spring semesters in courses creditable toward a baccalaureate degree.
A break in enrollment occurs when a student is not enrolled during two consecutive semesters at the same institution. Students are not required to be enrolled during the summer term(s) to maintain continuous enrollment.
The provision includes flexibility regarding the semester limit for five-year programs and students who demonstrate a substantial disruption in their pursuit of a degree.
Five-Year Programs
Any program authorized by the Board of Governors to require 135 semester credit hours or more is officially designated as a five-year baccalaureate program. First-time students seeking a baccalaureate degree in five- year programs will be eligible for 10 consecutive academic semesters, not including summer sessions.
Transfer Students
Transfer students will receive fixed tuition for a prorated time period, based on credits accumulated at the transferring institution(s). Students transferring between UNC institutions but maintaining continuous enrollment will be subject to the transfer student policy.
Per the UNC System policy, the following scale is used to determine semester-equivalents for transferable undergraduate credits
- 1 to 15 transferable undergraduate credits shall count as one semester
- 16 to 30 transferable undergraduate credits shall count as two semesters
- 31 to 45 transferable undergraduate credits shall count as three semesters
- 46 to 60 transferable undergraduate credits shall count as four semesters
- 61 to 75 transferable undergraduate credits shall count as five semesters
- 76 to 90 transferable undergraduate credits shall count as six semesters
- 91 to 105 transferable undergraduate credits shall count as seven semesters
- 106 to 120 transferable undergraduate credits shall count as eight semesters
- 121 to 135 transferable undergraduate credits shall count as nine semesters
The semesters of transferable credit are counted towards the 8 semesters of eligibility for fixed tuition. Example: if a student has 34 hours of transfer credit, they have used three semesters of fixed tuition and now are only eligible for 5 semesters of fixed tuition here at ECU.
Eligibility
The eligibility period begins for first-time or transfer students upon enrolling in a UNC constituent institution for the fall or spring semester as a degree-seeking undergraduate. Semesters in which students completely withdraw from the institution before the completion of the term will be counted in the designated fixed-tuition time period.
Waivers
Students who have interrupted continuous enrollment may petition for a waiver to retain initial fixed tuition under the following conditions: (1) military service obligation, (2) serious medical debilitation or (3) short- or long-term disability.
Students Exempt from Fixed Tuition
The following categories of students are not eligible for the Fixed Tuition Program: continuing education students; students currently enrolled in a cooperative innovative high school/early college, consortium, or dual- enrollment program; second degree seeking students; readmits who are not granted an appeal; non-degree seeking students; UNC Online, World Language; non-resident students; and graduate and professional students.
Student Fees
A reduced cap on student fees begins with the 2017-18 academic year. Increases in student fees are capped at 3% per year, using 2016-17 fees as a baseline.
Fixed Rate Tuition Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the Fixed Tuition Program?
Beginning with the 2016/2017 academic year, each University of North Carolina (UNC) constituent institution implemented the Fixed Tuition Program as required by North Carolina General Statute §116-143.9 and UNC GA Regulation 1000.1.7[R].
What are the eligibility requirements to receive the Fixed Rate Tuition Program reduction?
First-time resident students seeking a baccalaureate degree in a four-year program will be eligible for 8 consecutive academic semesters (not including summer sessions).
Tuition rates for other currently enrolled resident undergraduates and eligible resident undergraduate transfer students will be fixed for an appropriate number of consecutive semesters, (not including summer sessions).
Transfer resident undergraduate students will receive fixed tuition for a prorated time period, based on credits accumulated at the transferring institution(s). Students transferring between UNC institutions, but maintaining continuous enrollment will be subject to the transfer student policy.
The following categories of students are not eligible for the Fixed Tuition Program: continuing education students; students currently enrolled in a cooperative innovative high school/early college, consortium, or dual-enrollment program; second degree seeking students; readmits who are not granted an appeal; non-degree seeking students; UNC Online, World Language; non-resident students; and graduate and professional students.
What if I don’t finish my baccalaureate program by the expiration date for my fixed tuition period?
At the end of the fixed tuition period, the cost of tuition for any additional academic semesters will be assessed at the current tuition rate for the next registered semester.
How do I know what my tuition rate is?
Each eligible student will be assigned a cohort by the Registrar’s Office that corresponds to their eligibility period. The tuition and fee schedule will display all tuition and fee charges for the current academic year. Eligible students that have a FXT1617 cohort will have a corresponding tuition credit amount below the current tuition rate. The billed tuition and the tuition credit added together will reflect the fixed tuition rate as determined by the assigned cohort (see sample billing statement below).
Please note: Eligible first-year students (i.e, Cohort FXT1718), will see the current tuition rate without a tuition credit.
What is a cohort and how do I know which one I am assigned to?
For the purposes of fixed rate tuition, students will be assigned an identifier (cohort) based on their year of entrance to East Carolina University. Incoming freshmen undergraduate resident students will be assigned a cohort within the first 30 days of class. Undergraduate resident students who began matriculation in the 2016-2017 academic year have been assigned a cohort by the Registrar’s Office.
See Your Assigned Fixed Tuition Cohort Rate Here:
If you have not yet been assigned a Fixed Tuition Cohort:
What costs are covered under the Fixed Rate Tuition Program?
The program applies to a student’s tuition costs only. All fees are subject to change each academic year.
How is continuous enrollment defined?
Continuous enrollment is defined as a student being consecutively enrolled at the same higher education institution in the fall and spring semesters in courses creditable toward a baccalaureate degree. For purposes of the fixed tuition benefit, summer sessions are not considered part of the fixed tuition time period.
How do I appeal the loss of my Fixed Tuition Benefit?
Students who have interrupted continuous enrollment may petition for a waiver to retain initial fixed tuition under the following conditions:
- Military service obligation
- Serious medical debilitation or
- Short-term or long-term disability.
For questions related to bills and tuition rates, please contact the Cashier’s Office:
For questions related to cohorts, please contact the Registrar’s Office:
For questions related to residency status
please visit www.ncresidency.org or the Registrar’s Residency web page.