Types of Financial Aid || Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Financial Aid Recipients ||
Scholarships || Veterans Benefits
UNCA Catalog: Table of Contents
Types of Financial Aid || Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Financial Aid Recipients ||
Scholarships || Veterans Benefits
UNCA Catalog: Table of Contents
The University of North Carolina at Asheville has a broad program of financial aid for students who qualify on the basis of need and academic potential. Financial aid may consist of a scholarship, a grant, a North Carolina grant-in-aid, a loan, campus employment or a combination of these. Assistance provided by the University is designed to supplement the resources of students and their parents and should not be relied upon to defray all expenses.
Applicants for financial aid should obtain a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Once completed, they should return the FAFSA to the processor's address, indicating UNCA as their college choice.
Financial aid applications should be submitted between Jan. 1 and March 1 for the academic year, which begins in late August. Students applying for financial aid after March 1 will be given consideration for all types of financial aid on a fund-available basis. Awards are made only after students have met all admission requirements.
The types of financial aid offered by the University are outlined below. Further information is available from the Director of Financial Aid.
Incentive Scholarship and Grant Program for Native Americans. The North Carolina General Assembly has provided funds for a number of grants to needy resident North Carolina Indian students in constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina. Eligibility for a grant under the Incentive Scholarship and Grant Program for Native Americans (ISGPNA) is limited to a person qualifying as follows: (a) admitted or enrolled as a student in good standing in a degree program at this institution; (b) classified by this institution as a resident of North Carolina for tuition purposes as defined in the residence status regulations (Residence Manual, current edition) of the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina; (c) found to have financial need by this institution; and (d) coming within this definition of Native American: an individual who maintains cultural identification as a Native American through membership in a tribe recognized by the state of North Carolina or by the federal government or through other tribal affiliation or community recognition.
Minority Presence Grant Program, General Program. The University of North Carolina will continue to fund the Minority Presence Grant Program, General Program, Part I and Part II. The University of North Carolina will allocate this money to historically white and historically black institutions to aid them in recruiting financially needy North Carolina students who would be minority presence students at the respective institutions by enabling the institutions to offer relatively more aid for minority presence students in the form of grants rather than loans. General Program Part I includes funds for minority presence grants for students attending the North Carolina Central University School of Law. General Program Part II consists of grant funds for Native Americans, Hispanics and Asians.
The University of North Carolina at Asheville Grants-in-Aid and the UNC Escheats Grants. These grants enable students who qualify for financial assistance to begin or continue their education at the University. Eligible candidates must be residents of North Carolina and must be full-time students for the academic year for which they request aid. Grants-in-aid are awarded primarily on the basis of need. Recipients must have a satisfactory academic record.
University of North Carolina at Asheville Foundation. The Foundation assists the Board of Trustees in developing general support for the University and raises funds for those areas of the UNCA program for which state appropriations are not available or are available only in limited amounts. Most of the money raised by the Foundation is used for student financial aid.
North Carolina Student Incentive Grant. This provides grants to North Carolina residents who demonstrate financial need and enroll full time at the University. This program is administered for the North Carolina Education Assistance Authority by College Foundation, Inc.
Federal Pell Grant Program. The largest federal aid program, this provides education grants up to $3,000 per year which do not have to be repaid.
Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant. Funded by the federal government, this grant assistance for students with exceptional financial need does not have to be repaid.
Federal Perkins Loan Program. This long-term, low-interest loan (5 percent) is funded by the federal government for qualified students who demonstrate need. Funds must be repaid.
Federal Work-Study Program. The program provides on- and off-campus jobs for students who need financial assistance and meet the qualifications set forth by the federal government.
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. This includes:
William D. Ford Federal Direct Stafford Loan is a variable, long-term, low-interest loan designed to provide students with additional funds for college. Funds must be repaid.
William D. Ford Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan for middle-income borrowers is a variable, long-term, low-interest loan designed to provide students who do not qualify for financial aid, or who need more money, with additional funds for college. Funds must be repaid.
Loan maximums for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Stafford and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans:
| Undergraduate Students | ||
| First Year | $2,625 | |
| Second Year | 3,500 | |
| Completed two years | 5,500 | |
| Graduate Students | $8,500 | |
William D. Ford Federal Direct Parent Loan Program. Parents of full-time or part-time dependent undergraduate or graduate students may borrow amounts that equal cost minus financial aid.
Emergency Student Loan Funds. These are made available by individuals or groups interested in providing interest-free loans to needy students. The Leonard S. Levitch Student Loan Fund is available for emergency situations and is repayable prior to the beginning of the next semester. Maximum loan amount is $250.
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Federal financial aid programs are authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965. The law states that a student must be "maintaining satisfactory progress in the courses of study (s)he is pursuing, according to the standards and practices of the institution at which the student is in attendance."
The programs authorized under the Higher Education Act are: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Work-Study, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Stafford Loan and Parent Loan. This policy also applies to all aid awarded through the University's Financial Aid Office. It is necessary to provide consistency and equity to all students receiving assistance. Any student applying for assistance must have met the progress standard for previous enrollment at UNCA, whether or not (s)he received financial aid for that enrollment.
The UNCA policy has two aspects: 1) An undergraduate student who enrolls for 12 or more credit hours each semester and applies for financial aid has a maximum of five years to complete a bachelor's degree; and 2) the student must have earned at least 24 hours after one year of enrollment at UNCA, 48 hours after two years, 72 hours after three years, etc., until the completion of the degree program (usually 120 hours), whichever comes first and is contingent on the major. An undergraduate must accumulate a minimum 12 earned hours each semester.
If you are an undergraduate student, you can use the cumulative earned hours as shown. If you are a transfer student, you must subtract the number of hours you transferred to UNCA from the cumulative hours earned before using the table.
| Full-Time Academic Year | Minimum Required Completed Hours | Minimum Grade-Point Average |
| 1 | 0-24 | 1.30 |
| 2 | 25-48 | 1.50 |
| 3 | 49-72 | 1.66 |
| 4 | 73-96 | 1.84 |
| 5 | 97-120 | 2.00 |
If a student is attending on a part-time basis, the length of time to complete the degree will be increased proportionately.
| Three-Quarter Time Academic Year | Minimum Required Completed Hours | Minimum Grade-Point Average |
| 1 | 0-18 | 1.30 |
| 2 | 19-36 | 1.30 |
| 3 | 37-54 | 1.50 |
| 4 | 55-72 | 1.66 |
| 5 | 73-90 | 1.84 |
| 6 | 91-108 | 2.00 |
| 7 | 109-120 or more | 2.00 |
| Half-Time Academic Year | Minimum Required Completed Hours | Minimum Grade-Point Average |
| 1 | 0-12 | 1.30 |
| 2 | 13-24 | 1.30 |
| 3 | 25-36 | 1.50 |
| 4 | 37-48 | 1.50 |
| 5 | 49-60 | 1.66 |
| 6 | 61-72 | 1.66 |
| 7 | 73-84 | 1.84 |
| 8 | 85-96 | 1.84 |
| 9 | 97-108 | 2.00 |
| 10 | 109-120 or more | 2.00 |
If you are a graduate student, use the following table:
| Academic Year Enrolled | Minimum Required Completed Hours | Minimum Grade-Point Average |
| 1 | 6 | 2.0 |
| 2 | 12 | 2.0 |
| 3 | 18 | 2.0 |
| 4 | 24 | 2.0 |
| 5 | 30 | 2.0 |
A transfer student will be given a maximum time frame to complete a degree based on the number of credit hours remaining in the student's degree program. The student's progress will be measured after each year of enrollment along that time frame. For example, a new transfer needing 48 hours to complete a bachelor's degree will be provided a maximum of three years to complete the degree. At the end of one year of enrollment, the student is required to have earned 24 hours to be making satisfactory progress; after two years, 48 hours; and the student must have completed the program after three years.
Non-Credit courses will not be counted. Incomplete courses cannot be counted until the required work is completed and a grade is posted in the Registrar's Office by the academic department. Repeat courses that do not provide additional earned hours (for example, increasing a grade from a D to a B) cannot be counted. Courses taken at another school will be counted by UNCA when they are accepted in the Registrar's Office.
Hours earned in summer school will be used directly in determining whether or not a student has made satisfactory academic progress. Therefore, a student who has not made satisfactory progress at the end of an academic year may earn hours during the following summer terms without financial aid to regain satisfactory academic progress. Summer enrollment is a time when a student can "make up" needed hours to regain satisfactory progress. Federal, state or institutional financial aid is not awarded during this period until the student has regained satisfactory academic progress.
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University Laurels Program and Need-Based Scholarships
Awards included in The University Laurels Program and Institutional Need-Based Scholarships are made possible by generous support from a variety of sources and individuals including the following:
UNCA Foundation
UNCA Alumni Association
Locally and North Carolina-based companies and corporations
Asheville area service clubs and organizations
Supportive community and educational foundations
UNCA Trustees, Faculty, Administration and Staff
Supportive individuals within our many communities
Generally, scholarships range in amounts from full to partial tuition and fees, such as the Undergraduate Research Fellows and Scholars Awards. Fellows Awards cover the full amount of in-state tuition and fees; Scholars Awards cover approximately half of this cost.
Many of these awards are unrestricted and available to all students who meet the academic and/or need criteria. Some, however, are restricted based on degree intention, level of educational attainment (freshman, sophomore, etc.), hometown or region or other donor-specified criteria. To simplify the application process for students, UNCA has placed all of these scholarships under two general umbrellas--The University Laurels and Need-Based Merit Scholarships. Students should follow the application process identified below for consideration for these awards. No separate application process is required except as noted at the end of this section.
The University Laurels Selection Committee will make merit awards to students based on their previous academic attainments, co-curricular achievements and performance during the University Laurels Interview Day. Student profiles and donor criteria will be matched during this process. The UNCA Financial Aid Office will perform these same matching activities for the Need-Based Merit awards.
Entering freshmen should be in the top 10 percent of their high school class and have SAT scores of about 1200. The most competitive students will have a profile similar to the example below:
| High school rank | Upper 10 percent |
| Minimum grade-point average | 3.5 on a 4-point scale |
| Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT I) or |
1200 and higher |
| American College Test (ACT) | 27 Composite or higher |
Entering freshmen should follow the instructions provided with their admissions application to apply for consideration for The University Laurels Program. An essay, listing of extracurricular activities, and participation in an on-campus interview day are requirements for the fullest consideration.
Unless otherwise stated, all students (new freshmen, new transfers and continuing) should apply through the UNCA Financial Aid office for need-based merit scholarship consideration. Students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and be admitted to UNCA by March 1 for fullest consideration.
North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program. The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program is for outstanding North Carolina high school students who have the desire and talent to become teachers. Each $20,000 fellowship covers the majority of the costs of tuition, fees, room, board, books and off-campus study opportunities. In exchange, they must teach for four years in North Carolina after graduation. UNC Asheville is one of 14 universities in the state offering the program. More information may be obtained from the Office of Admissions. Application deadline: Early November each year.
Western North Carolina Leadership Scholarship Program. The Leadership Scholarship Program is for students from the 24 western counties of North Carolina and offers scholarships in the amount of $1,000 per year, renewable for four years. To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate a solid academic record, but more importantly they must show a keen interest in and talent for leadership and service in their communities and schools. More information may be obtained from the Office of Admissions. Application deadline: Oct. 15.
For information and forms, write or call:
Financial Aid Office
The University of North Carolina at Asheville
223 Lipinsky Hall, CPO #2230
One University Heights
Asheville, NC 28804-8510
828/251-6535
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Most veterans who served on active duty for more than 180 days, any part of which occurred after Jan. 31, 1955, are generally eligible for financial support. In order to determine eligibility for educational benefits, veterans should call their local Veterans Administration office. Children of deceased or totally disabled veterans who are 18-26 years of age may be eligible for financial aid if death or disability of the parent was a result of service in the armed forces. Local Veterans Administration offices can supply complete details.
Students eligible for educational benefits from the Veterans Administration must file a statement of educational plans with the Registrar's Office each academic year. Veterans Administration regulations limit payment for only those courses that will count toward the declared major. Veterans must submit monthly attendance reports to the Registrar to qualify for monthly payments. Failure to comply will result in termination of benefits. Other restrictions also apply. More information and application materials may be obtained from the veterans representative in the Registrar's Office.
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