Expenses and Financial Assistance

General Information

Because of the early publication of this catalog, the tuition and fee schedule is omitted. The current university schedule of tuition and fees can be obtained from the cashier’s office, the admissions office, or www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/financial_serv/cashier/tufee.cfm.

It is estimated that the average student who is a North Carolina resident incurs necessary expenses of approximately $17,500 for room, meals, tuition, and fees during an academic year of two semesters. The costs of meals and textbooks may vary considerably, according to individual requirements. The university operates food service facilities in six locations throughout the campus. Meals are available either under a meal plan or by individual selections at moderate prices. The estimated cost for the average meal plan is $2,060.00 (including sales tax) per semester. More information about campus living may be found at www.ecu.edu/studentlife/campusliving/.

Students are required to purchase their textbooks each semester. For student convenience, the university owns and operates the Dowdy Student Stores, which is located on the ground floor of the Wright Building. There students will be able to find all necessary books and supplies. The cost of books will vary with the different curricula; $1,430 for two semesters is a reasonable estimate. More information about the Dowdy Student Stores may be found at www.ecu.edu/studentstores/.

Residence Status for Tuition Purposes

The basis for determining the appropriate tuition charge rests upon whether a student is a resident or a nonresident of North Carolina. Each student must make a statement as to the length of his or her residence in North Carolina, with assessment by the institution of that statement to be conditioned by the following:

Residence. To qualify as a resident for tuition purposes, a person must become a legal resident and remain a legal resident for at least twelve months immediately prior to classification. Thus, there is a distinction between legal residence and residence for tuition purposes. Furthermore, twelve months’ legal residence means more than simple abode in North Carolina. In particular it means maintaining a domicile (permanent home of indefinite duration) as opposed to “maintaining a mere temporary residence or abode incident to enrollment in an institution of higher education.” The burden of establishing facts which justify classification of a student as a resident entitled to in-state tuition rates is on the applicant for such classification, who must show his or her entitlement by the preponderance (the greater part) of the residentiary information.

Initiative. Being classified a resident for tuition purposes is contingent on the student’s seeking such status and providing all information that the institution may require in making the determination.

Parents’ Domicile. If an individual, irrespective of age, has living parent(s) or court-appointed guardian of the person, the domicile of such parent(s) or guardian is, prima facie, the domicile of the individual; but this prima facie evidence of the individual’s domicile may or may not be sustained by other information. Further, non-domiciliary status of parents is not deemed prima facie evidence of the applicant child’s status if the applicant has lived (though not necessarily legally resided) in North Carolina for the five years preceding enrollment or re-registration.

Effect of Marriage. Marriage alone does not prevent a person from becoming or continuing to be a resident for tuition purposes, nor does marriage in any circumstances insure that a person will become or continue to be a resident for tuition purposes. Marriage and the legal residence of one’s spouse are, however, relevant information in determining residentiary intent. Furthermore, if both a husband and his wife are legal residents of North Carolina and if one of them has been a legal resident longer than the other, then the longer duration may be claimed by either spouse in meeting the twelve-month requirement for in-state tuition status.

Military Personnel. A North Carolinian who serves outside the state in the armed forces does not lose North Carolina domicile simply by reason of such service. And students from the military may prove establishment of residence by reference, as in other cases, to residentiary acts accompanied by residentiary intent. In addition, a separate North Carolina statute affords tuition rate benefits to certain military personnel and their dependents even though not qualifying for the in-state tuition rate by reason of twelve months legal residence in North Carolina. Members of the armed services, while stationed in and concurrently living in North Carolina, may be charged the in-state tuition rate. A dependent relative of a service member stationed in North Carolina is eligible to be charged the in-state tuition rate while the dependent relative is living in North Carolina with the service member and if the dependent relative has met any requirement of the Selective Service System applicable to the dependent relative. These tuition benefits may be enjoyed only if the applicable requirements for admission have been met; these benefits alone do not provide the basis for receiving those derivative benefits under the provisions of the residence classification statute reviewed elsewhere in this summary.

Grace Period. If a person (1) has been a bona fide legal resident of the required duration, (2) has consequently been classified a resident for tuition purposes, and (3) has subsequently lost North Carolina legal residence while enrolled at a public institution of higher education, that person may continue to enjoy the in-state tuition rate for a grace period of twelve months measured from the date on which North Carolina legal residence was lost. If the twelve months period ends during an academic term for which the person is enrolled at a state institution of higher education, the grace period extends, in addition, to the end of that term. The fact of marriage to one who continues domicile outside North Carolina does not by itself cause loss of legal residence, marking the beginning of the grace period.

Minors. Minors (persons under eighteen years of age) usually have the domicile of their parents, but certain special cases are recognized by the residence classification statute in determining residence for tuition purposes.

1. If a minor’s parents live apart, the minor’s domicile is deemed to be North Carolina for the time period(s) that either parent, as a North Carolina legal resident, may claim and does claim the minor as a tax dependent, even if other law or judicial act assigns the minor’s domicile outside North Carolina. A minor thus deemed to be a legal resident will not, upon achieving majority before enrolling at an institution of higher education, lose North Carolina legal residence if that person:
   1. upon becoming an adult “acts, to the extent that the person’s degree of actual emancipation permits, in a manner consistent with bona fide legal residence in North Carolina” and
   2. “begins enrollment at an institution of higher education not later than the fall academic term following completion of education prerequisite to admission at such institution.”
2. If a minor has lived for five or more consecutive years with relatives (other than parents) who are domiciled in North Carolina and if the relatives have functioned during this time as if they were personal guardians, the minor will be deemed a resident for tuition purposes for an enrolled term commencing immediately after at least five years in which these circumstances have existed. If under this consideration a minor is deemed to be a resident for tuition purposes immediately prior to his or her eighteenth birthday, that person on achieving majority will be deemed a legal resident of North Carolina of at least twelve months’ duration. This provision acts to confer instate tuition status even in the face of other provisions of law to the contrary; however, a person deemed a resident of twelve months’ duration pursuant to this provision continues to be a legal resident of the state only so long as he or she does not abandon North Carolina domicile.

Lost But Regained Domicile. If a student ceases enrollment at or graduates from an institution of higher education while classified a resident for tuition purposes and then both abandons and reacquires North Carolina domicile within a twelve month period, that person, if he or she continues to maintain the reacquired domicile into re-enrollment at an institution of higher education, may re-enroll at the in-state tuition rate without having to meet the usual twelve-month durational requirement. However, any one person may receive the benefit of this provision only once.

Change of Status. A student admitted to initial enrollment in an institution (or permitted to re-enroll following an absence from the institutional program which involved a formal withdrawal from enrollment) must be classified by the admitting institution either as a resident or as a nonresident for tuition purposes prior to actual enrollment. A residence status classification once assigned (and finalized pursuant to any appeal properly taken) may be changed thereafter (with corresponding change in billing rates) only at intervals corresponding with the established primary divisions of the academic year.

Transfer Students. When a student transfers from one North Carolina public institution of higher education to another, he or she is treated as a new student by the institution to which he or she is transferring, and must be assigned an initial residence status classification for tuition purposes.

Regulations on Residency: the Manual. University regulations concerning the classification of students by residence, for purposes of applicable tuition differentials, are set forth in detail in A Manual to Assist the Public Higher Education Institutions of North Carolina in the Matter of Student Residence Classification for Tuition Purposes. Each enrolled student is responsible for knowing the contents of that Manual, which is the controlling administrative statement of policy on this subject. Copies of the Manual are available on request at the undergraduate admissions office, the registrar’s office, and the Joyner and Health Sciences Libraries. The Manual is also available online in the residency section of the registrar’s home page: www.ecu.edu/registrar/.

Deadline for Application. Newly admitted or readmitted undergraduate students applying for the in-state rate for tuition should complete the Application for In-State Residence and Tuition and return it to the undergraduate admissions office at least three weeks prior to registration day for the term for which they seek in-state tuition. Continuing undergraduate students who seek to have their residency status changed to in-state should complete the Application and return it to the registrar’s office at least three weeks prior to registration day for the term for which they seek in-state tuition. Students seeking a military waiver of out-of-state tuition should complete the Application for a Military Waiver and return it to the registrar’s office at least three weeks prior to registration day for the term for which they seek the waiver.

Expenses

Enrollment Deposit

Applicants who are admitted as undergraduate students are required to remit a nonrefundable deposit of $100 to signify their intention to enroll. All enrolling applicants will receive credit for the $100 deposit toward their tuition and fees.

Applicants who are accepted for admission to East Carolina University for the fall semester must deposit the $100 with the university cashier by May 1, or shortly after admission; applicants who are admitted for the spring semester must remit the deposit by November 15. The approval for admission will be tentative until the deposit and all required final academic records are received and reviewed to ensure that admission standards have been met. If the deposit is not received by the deadline, the applicant’s acceptance will be continued only if space in the university is available.

Fee Payment Schedule

Students will be charged tuition and fees according to the tuition and fee schedule approved by the UNC Board of Governors and the ECU Board of Trustees. They reserve the right to revise the rates at any time found necessary or advisable and without prior notice. Tuition is billed by the semester based on the student’s residency status, classification, campus, and number of registration hours. Tuition is due approximately 1-2 weeks before the first day of classes for each fall and spring semester. A one-time late fee is assessed if tuition is not paid by the published deadline. ECU’s Academic Calendars include the published deadlines for late fee assessment and for cancellation of classes for non-payment and can be assessed at www.ecu.edu/fsonline/senate/fscalend.cfm. No person is allowed to attend class or receive class instruction without being properly registered either for credit or for audit. Distance education courses have a separate tuition and fee schedule that is billed in addition to main campus courses. Main campus fall, spring and summer schedules, as well as distance education schedules, are available online at www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/financial_serv/cashier/tufee.cfm.

Tuition Surcharge

Undergraduate students who elect to take more than 140 degree-credit hours to complete a baccalaureate degree or more than 110 percent of the credit hours necessary to complete a five-year program will be subject to a 50% tuition surcharge as required by North Carolina General Statute §116-143.7.

Specifically, the legislation states:

Effective beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year, the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina shall impose a fifty percent (50%) tuition surcharge on students who take more than 140 degree credit hours to complete a baccalaureate degree in a four-year program or more than one hundred ten percent (110%) 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. Courses and credit hours taken include those taken at that constituent institution or accepted for transfer. In calculating the number of degree credit hours taken:

Included are courses that a student fails or does not complete unless the course was officially dropped by the student pursuant to the academic policy of the appropriate constituent institution.

Excluded are credit hours earned through the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program, CLEP examinations, or similar program; and institutional advanced placement, course validation, or any similar procedure for awarding course credit, and Summer term or extension programs.

No surcharge shall be imposed on any student who exceeds the degree credit hour limits within the equivalent of four academic years of regular term enrollment or within five academic years of regular term enrollment in a degree program officially designated by the Board of Governors as a five-year program.

Tuition Surcharge Waiver Procedure

Tuition surcharge is a fee required by the General Administration of the University of North Carolina System and is not an ECU fee. There is not an appeal process for this fee, but there is an option to request a waiver of the tuition surcharge if your situation meets one of the following:

• Military Service Obligation - shall mean the performance of duty on a voluntary or involuntary basis in connection with service in the Armed Forces, Reserves, or National Guard including, but not limited to; active duty, active duty for training, initial active duty for training, and inactive duty training.
• Serious Medical Debilitation- shall mean an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition requiring; (a) inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility; or (b) continuing treatment by a health care provider; provided that such incapacity did not result from the student’s violation of University policy or the commission of a felony.
• Disability - shall mean a mental or physical incapacity that causes the performance of the student’s academic commitments to become impossible or impractical; provided that such incapacity did not result from the student’s violation of University policy or the commission of a felony.
• Other Extraordinary Hardship- shall mean hardship of any kind which, despite responsible handling, resulted in the substantial disruption or interruption of the student’s pursuit of a degree.

Waiver requests that do not fall into one of the four categories will not be considered. Supporting documentation along with the Tuition Surcharge Waiver Form is required for all waivers. Waivers must be received and post marked no later than 30 business days of receiving notice of the tuition surcharge. Students will be notified within 30 business days of the receipt of the waiver request of the committee’s decision. All waiver requests must be submitted via e-mail to tuitionappeals@ecu.edu, fax at (252) 328-2413, or mailed to:

East Carolina University
Cashier’s Office
G120 Old Cafeteria Complex
Mail Stop 230
Greenville, NC 27858-4353

Frequently asked questions and additional information about Tuition Surcharge is available from the Office of the Registrar, http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/registrar/Tuition-Surcharge.cfm.

Indebtedness to the University and Returned Checks

No degree, diploma, or certificate will be granted or transcript of credits furnished to a student until all financial obligations to the university, other than secured student loans, have been paid. A student may not be permitted to register, to attend classes, or to take final examinations after the due date of any unpaid obligations. A charge will be imposed by the Office of the Cashier, Student Stores, and other university offices for returned checks.

Refund Policy

Refunding of Tuition and Fees

It is to the financial advantage of all students withdrawing, dropping to part-time status, or dropping to a lower block of credit hours, to do so as early in the semester/session as possible. The official withdrawal policy may be found in the academic regulations section of this catalog. Refunds for tuition and required fees (excluding room and board charges which are determined by contractual agreement) will be made as follows for students who withdraw or drop to a lower block of credit hours:

• Through the first week of classes (five class days starting the first official day of classes for the university) tuition and required fees will be refunded at 100 percent. (Financial aid recipients may be required to repay a portion of their aid if they drop one or more classes during the 100% refund window.)
• The second week of classes (six to ten consecutive class days) tuition and required fees will be refunded at 75 percent minus a $25 processing fee.
• The third week of classes (eleven to fifteen consecutive class days) tuition and required fees will be refunded at 50 percent minus a $25 processing fee.
• The fourth week of classes (sixteen to twenty consecutive class days) tuition and required fees will be refunded at 25 percent minus a $25 processing fee.
• Beginning with the fifth week of classes (twenty-first consecutive class day) refunds will not be considered.

If the student wishes to appeal balances resulting from tuition and fee charges, the process must be initiated in writing to the Tuition Refund Appeals Committee. The written appeal can be submitted to the Cashier’s Office or via email to tuitionappeals@ecu.edu.

All refunds are subject to the above noted time limitations and will be based on the difference between the amount paid and the charge for the block of hours for which the student is officially registered.

Policy Exceptions

There will be no refunds for special course fees after the first five class days of each semester.

A separate and extended refund policy exists for federal Title IV financial aid recipients. Generally, students withdrawing from the institution may owe a repayment of all or some portion of the financial aid received. Please refer to financial aid materials or contact the Office of Student Financial Aid.

To officially withdraw from the university, a student must give written notice to the Office of the Registrar.

Any refunds that a student is entitled to shall first be applied to outstanding financial obligations owed the university.

Summer Sessions

Refunds for tuition and required fees for 1st and 2nd summer sessions is limited to the first week of classes (five class days starting with the first official day of classes for the university). During this period, students receive 100 percent refunds of tuition and required fees.

Refunds for tuition and required fees for 11-week summer session will be made as follows:

• Through the first week of classes (five class days starting the first official day of classes for the university) tuition and required FTEs will be refunded 100 percent.
• The second week of classes (six to ten consecutive class days) tuition and required FTEs will be refunded at 75 percent.
• The third week of classes (eleven to fifteen consecutive class days) tuition and required fees will be refunded at 50 percent.
• The fourth week of classes (sixteen to twenty consecutive class days) tuition and required fees will be refunded at 25 percent.
• Beginning with the fifth week of classes (twenty-first consecutive class day) refunds will not be considered.

Financial Assistance

Veterans Administration Educational Payments

The Offices of Veterans Administration (VA) and Social Security require a minimum course load of 12 s.h. of required courses per semester (except summer session) for payment of full-time benefits to veterans and eligible dependents.

East Carolina University is approved for a student to take up to 56 s.h. of general education courses. After a student receives the 56 s.h., he or she must declare a major either officially or unofficially for the VA. The 56 s.h. will include transfer credits and credits earned on campus.

After the student declares a major, benefits will be paid only for courses listed in the catalog under that degree/major program. Substitutions are allowed when the major chairperson gives written approval prior to the student’s taking the course.

Students declared academically ineligible will be required to remove their probation before educational benefits can be recertified to the VA.

Students may be eligible for an additional allowance under the VA work-study program. The work-study program allows students to perform work for the VA in return for an hourly wage. They may perform outreach services under the supervision of a VA employee, prepare and process VA paperwork, work in a VA medical facility, or other approved activities. Students must be enrolled at three-quarter or full-time rate.

Students may be eligible to receive a special allowance for individual tutoring if they enter school at one half-time or more. To qualify, students must have a deficiency in a subject, making the tutoring necessary. There is no entitlement charged for tutorial assistance.

Further information is available at the campus Veterans’ Affairs Office (Mendenhall Room 254 or https://registrar.ecu.edu/veterans/).

UNC Campus Scholarships

The UNC Campus Scholarship program is awarded on financial need and merit to incoming freshmen who are North Carolina residents. The $1,500 scholarship award is designed to assist in the diversification of the university’s undergraduate student body to include the presence of first generation college students, students from disadvantaged socio-economics backgrounds, and traditionally underrepresented populations on our campus.These scholarships are awarded by internal selection process and do not require an application.

National and International Fellowships and Scholarships

East Carolina University maintains a website devoted to national and international fellowships and scholarships to familiarize students with the competitive national and international fellowships and scholarships available to selected students intent on pursuing graduate work. The website includes the names of ECU faculty contact persons where identified.

These fellowships and scholarships, for the most part, are for terms long enough to ensure completion of the master’s degree, and in some cases to allow work on the doctoral degree. Among the fellowships and scholarships coordinated by this office are the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, the Marshall Scholarships, the Rhodes Scholarships, the Fulbright Grants, and the Harry S. Truman Scholarships (undergraduate only).

Interested students should contact the Office of University Scholarships for more information (101 Whichard Building, 252-328-5816).

Office of Student Financial Aid

Through the use of federal and state funds as well as contributions from its many friends and alumni, East Carolina University makes every effort to assist students in locating funds for their education. The staff of the university Office of Student Financial Aid assists students in obtaining funds from the source best suited to the individual’s need.

Three main types of financial assistance are available to qualified students: gift aid, consisting of grants and scholarships; long-term educational loans; and part-time employment. Students classified as non-degree auditors, special students, or visitors are not eligible for financial aid.

Because the primary aim of the financial aid programs is to provide assistance to students who, without aid, would be unable to continue their education, most of the funds are awarded on the basis of financial need. However, in its efforts to strive for excellence, the university offers assistance to some talented students based on merit rather than need.

The university participates in federal programs which provide funds on the basis of financial need as follows:

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
• Federal Perkins Loan
• Federal Work-Study Program
• Federal Direct Stafford Loan Program
• Federal Direct Parent Loan Program
• Nursing Student Loan

Information pertaining to the application process, types of aid available, and academic requirements may be obtained from the East Carolina University Office of Student Financial Aid and at www.ecu.edu/financial.

Office of University Scholarships

The goal of the Office of University Scholarships is to provide students and their families with information on both internal and external scholarship opportunities. Scholarships are gifts of money that do not require repayment.

Scholarships usually recognize special achievements in academics, talent, and leadership. Some scholarships may also require that students demonstrate financial need. Financial need will be determined by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Scholarships can come from a variety of sources. Scholarships may be awarded by the Office of University Scholarships and by each of the colleges on our campus. There are scholarships for incoming freshmen, transfer students as well as students currently enrolled at the university.

East Carolina University has many scholarships that have been made available through the generous donations of alumni and friends of the university. Scholarship eligibility, criteria, and amounts may change at any time without prior notice. Information pertaining to the scholarships available and the application process may be obtained from the Office of University Scholarships and at www.ecu.edu/universityscholarships. Many scholarship opportunities can be located by visiting the ECU Online Scholarship Management System at https://ecu.academicworks.com. Students may also find additional information about discipline/major specific scholarships by contacting the academic department of their intended major or by viewing college Web pages.

Interested students should contact the Office of University Scholarships for more information (101 Whichard Building, 252-328-5816).