General Information
The current university schedule of tuition and fees can be obtained from the Cashier’s office, the Admissions office, or by clicking here.
The university operates food service facilities in multiple locations throughout the campus. Meals are available either by a meal plan or by individual selections at moderate prices. Information about the benefits and costs of meal plans can be found on the Campus Living website. Information about meal plans can also be found on the ECU Dining Services website.
Graduate students are typically required to purchase course materials and textbooks each semester. For student convenience, the university owns and operates Dowdy Student Stores which located on main campus and on the health sciences campus. The main campus location is on the main level of the Main Campus Student Center (501 E. 10th Street). The health sciences campus location is inside the Health Sciences Student Center (868 Health Sciences Drive, Second floor, Room 213). At these two locations students are able to find all course materials and textbooks needed. The cost of textbooks vary according to the area of study and are available in different formats (e.g., used, rental, and digital). More information can be found on the Dowdy Student Stores website.
Residency Classification and Reclassification
The State Education Assistance Authority (SEAA) is the authoritative source for all residency determinations in North Carolina. Session Law 2015-241 authorized the State Education Assistance Authority (SEAA) to perform all functions necessary to implement the coordinated and centralized Residency Determination Service (RDS) to apply the criteria in G.S. §116-143.1. This statute addresses the specific standards for determining resident status for tuition purposes.
Graduate students applying for admission and claiming in-state residency for tuition purposes or currently enrolled students seeking a reconsideration after March 1, 2017, must visit https://ncresidency.cfnc.org/residencyInfo/ for information and to apply. The Graduate School does not render decisions about residency nor hear appeals or reconsiderations.
Determining Residency Status for Tuition in North Carolina
Residency applications must be submitted to the Residency Determination Service (RDS) by 5pm on the tenth-class day for which in-state residency for tuition purpose is being sought.
Overview of Requirements
To qualify for in-state tuition or to establish eligibility for state grant determination under North Carolina law, a student must prove:
- they established and maintained their legal residence in North Carolina for 12 months before claiming residency
- intent and capacity to maintain permanent legal residence in North Carolina
- they are here for a purpose other than going to college (some students may never qualify as an in-state resident for tuition purposes, particularly if they came to North Carolina to attend college) Simply residing in North Carolina is NOT enough. A student must show permanent ties to North Carolina by proving that any previous state of residence has been abandoned. Students may not have more than one legal residence (domicile) at one time.
To qualify for in-state tuition or to establish eligibility for state grant determination, you or your parent(s)/guardian(s) must demonstrate capacity, presence, intent, and duration:
- Capacity: the ability to make North Carolina your permanent home legally and financially and remain in NC permanently
- to claim residency on your own (separate from your parent(s)/guardian(s) you must demonstrate capacity based on your own financial resources, not through support from your parent(s) or through gifts from someone else
- Presence: be physically present in and reside in North Carolina
- Intent: perform various actions as evidence of making North Carolina your permanent home (domicile) rather than residing in the state for the purpose of attending college
- Duration: maintain a domicile continuously for at least 12 full months before you claim residency
Considerations During Residency Determination Process
Length/Intent of North Carolina Residency
- How long has the student been in the state of North Carolina?\
- Has the student left the state of NC for an extended period (including the break between spring and fall semesters)?
- What were the reasons for moving to North Carolina?
- Have there been sufficient actions initiated by the student to become a resident of North Carolina?
- Is there intent for the student to reside in North Carolina following graduation from college
Financial Considerations
- Does the student claim to be self-supporting? If so, is the student employed in the state of NC?
- In which state did the student file taxes?
- Is the student a dependent on someone else’s taxes?
- In which state do the student’s parent(s) or legal guardian reside?
- What are all the sources of financial support for the student
RDS coordinates all aspects of the residency determination process including reconsiderations, RDS appeals, and SEAA Statewide appeals. For contact information, see below.
NC RDS Website (https://ncresidency.cfnc.org/residencyInfo/)
Toll Free Phone (844-319-3640)
FAX (919-835-2427)
Email (rdsinfo@ncresidency.org)
Section 702 of the Veterans Choice Act
Veterans and dependents may qualify for in-state residents for tuition purposes after an initial classification of out-of-state by the Residency Determination Service. These veterans and dependents are required to provide additional information through the Section 702 Veterans Choice Act and NC SB 257.
Under the Choice Act, a covered individual meets these qualifications:
- A veteran, dependent of a veteran, or a spouse/child using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship
- Lives in the state in which the institution of higher learning is located, regardless of his/her formal state of residence
- The dependent or spouse of an active-duty service member enrolled in the institution while using transferred Ch33 Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits or benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship
An active-duty veteran not living in North Carolina is not a covered individual at this time. A dependent of an active duty or veteran may qualify provided they will be living in North Carolina on the first day of classes.
All students must apply for residency through the Residency Determination Service and supply all required documents to them for review before seeking re-classification through Section 702 of the Choice Act.
Expenses
Students will be charged tuition and fees based on admission status. Tuition and fees are subject to revision by The UNC Board of Governors and/or the ECU Board of Trustees, who reserve the right to revise them at any time found necessary or advisable and without prior notice.
Returning students or those admitted and registering before the collection of fees begins for the fall or spring semesters will be subject to a late payment fee if tuition and fees are not paid by a published deadline, which usually precedes registration day by about two weeks.
No person is allowed to attend class or receive class instruction without being properly registered either for credit or for audit.
See https://financialservices.ecu.edu/tuition-fees-3/ for summer session and continuing studies fees.
No degree, diploma, or certificate will be granted, or transcript of credits furnished 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 Cashier’s Office and other university offices for returned (NSF) checks. They may subject the maker to legal action and may jeopardize other financial privileges on campus such as cashing checks where allowed.
There may be additional fees associated with online and face to face courses for verification of student identity and integrity for proctored examinations. The systems used for verification of student identity and integrity for proctored examinations may require the use of webcams, audio, recording of the computer screen and the student, capturing of other personal information, such as student identification cards, and the storing of this collected data for review of security and integrity of the examinations(s). As part of the exam experience, the student may be asked to comply with reasonable proctoring methods, including a scan of computer monitors and the immediate desktop testing area with your webcam. By registering for courses, the student is consenting to the use of these systems and the collection of this personal information for the purpose of proctoring and maintaining the integrity of university examinations.
Refund Policy
It is to the financial advantage of all students withdrawing or dropping to part-time status or dropping to part-time status do so as early in the semester or 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 number of credit hours during the fall and spring semesters:
- First five consecutive class days - tuition and required fees will be refunded at 100 percent. (Note: 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.)
- Six to ten consecutive class days - tuition and required fees will be refunded at 75 percent minus a $25 nonrefundable processing fee.
- Eleven to fifteen consecutive class days - tuition and required fees will be refunded at 50 percent minus a $25 nonrefundable processing fee.
- Sixteen to twenty consecutive class days - tuition and required fees will be refunded at 25 percent minus a $25 nonrefundable processing fee.
- Beginning with the 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 via email to the Cashier’s Office at cashier@ecu.edu or via e-mail 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 hours for which the student is officially registered.
There will be no refunds for special course fees after the first five consecutive class days of each semester.
A separate and extended refund policy exists for federal Title IV financial aid and North Carolina state aid programs. 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.
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 a 100 percent refund of tuition and required fees.
Refunds for tuition and required fees for 11-week summer session will be made as follows:
- First five consecutive class days - tuition and required fees will be refunded at 100 percent. Note: 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.
- Six to ten consecutive class days - tuition and required fees will be refunded at 75 percent minus a $25 processing fee.
- Eleven to fifteen consecutive class days - tuition and required fees will be refunded at 50 percent minus a $25 processing fee.
- Sixteen to twenty consecutive class days - tuition and required fees will be refunded at 25 percent minus a $25 processing fee.
- Beginning with the twenty-first consecutive class day, refunds will not be considered.
Financial Assistance
The Offices of Veterans Administration (VA) and Social Security require a minimum course load of 9 s.h. of required courses per semester (except summer session) for payment of full-time benefits to eligible veterans and dependents.
After the student declares a major, benefits will be paid only for courses listed in the catalog under that degree/major program. Substitutions may be 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 to receive a special allowance for individual tutoring. A student may receive tutorial assistance as long as the student is enrolled in a post-secondary program at least half time, is deficient in the course, and is enrolled in the course during the same term in which tutoring is received. Students can be reimbursed up to $100 a month. The maximum amount payable is $1200. There is no entitlement charge under chapter 35. There is no entitlement charge for the first $600 under chapters 30 and 1606.
Further information is available at the campus veteran’s affairs office, or by checking on their website (https://registrar.ecu.edu/veterans/).
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, National Science Foundation Fellowships, and the Harry S. Truman Scholarships (undergraduate only).
Interested students should contact the Office of University Scholarships for more information (in person: G131 Old Cafeteria Complex; by phone: 252-328-5816; or by email: scholarships@ecu.edu).
Through the use of federal, state, and institutional funds as well as contributions from its many friends and alumni, East Carolina University makes every effort to assist students in the continuation of 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 nondegree auditors, special students, or visitors are not eligible for financial aid at East Carolina University, though visitors may seek assistance from their home institutions. Students who are not fully admitted degree-seeking graduate students may in limited situations borrow a Federal Stafford Loan only for a limited period of time (not to exceed nine months or two semesters) for coursework that is a prerequisite for admission to an ECU graduate program.
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 Work-Study Program
- Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan Program
- Nursing Student Loan
- Federal Graduate PLUS (loan program)
Information pertaining to the application process, types of aid available, and academic requirements may be obtained from the Office of Student Financial Aid. Students should contact appropriate deans or departmental chairpersons of intended major areas concerning assistantship (positions) that are available in those disciplines.
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 students, freshmen, and 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 https://scholarships.ecu.edu/. Many scholarship opportunities can be located by visiting ECU Online Scholarship Management System or ECUAWard via Pirate Port, or by logging in directly 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 (G131 Old Cafeteria Complex, 252-328-5816).
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