Financial Aid

SOAR Orientation 2016

SOAR Ambassador Program

SOAR Ambassadors are carefully selected based on a review of various factors including: high school academic achievement, standardized test score performance, and participation in extracurricular activities during high school years. The scholarship award is the equivalent of UNCW in-state tuition and fees each year. Supplemental awards are added towards books, housing, and meals during the sophomore, junior and senior years.

Eligibility to continue in the program is reviewed each academic year, provided students complete the requirements expressed in the SOAR Ambassador Program Handbook. The minimum criteria are:

  • Immediate enrollment as a freshman during the fall semester after high school graduation.
  • Must maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA
  • Earn a minimum of 30 credit hours per academic year (total during fall, spring, and summer terms)
  • Participate in all required program specific requirements including community service

Additionally, SOAR Ambassadors are required to attend monthly meetings to foster relationships with their peers, complete community service projects, and learn valuable information from various departments on campus. This scholarship is available for 8 semesters provided students are able to successfully complete all program requirements each academic year.

SOAR Ambassador Award

Below is an example of the financial aid award package of a first-year SOAR Ambassador with in-state residency status.

SOAR Ambassador Award Example

Sample SOAR Ambassador Award
Type of Aid Without Student Loans With Student Loans
UNCW SOAR Ambassador Award $7,048.00 $7,048.00
Federal Pell Grant $6,095.00* $6,095.00*
State Grant (NC residents only) $3,044.00* $3,044.00*
Federal Subsidized Student Loan (optional) $3,442.00**
Federal Unsubsidized Student Loan (optional) $1,990.00**
Total Aid per year $16,187.00 $21,619.00
Total Aid per semester $8,093.50 $10,809.50

* Federal Pell and State Grant amount shown is the maximum amount students can receive. Actual amounts may vary based on EFC.

** These numbers represent the net amount after the deduction of the loan fees. You are not required to borrow any Federal Students Loans. You will have the opportunity to decline them during the awarding process.

Cost of Attendance

The cost of attendance (COA) for an in-state resident at UNCW for the 2018-2019 academic year is $24,939.00. The cost of attendance is not a final bill but is an estimate of educational expenses for the period of enrollment. Please click on the link below to find out more information about the cost of attendance and actual charges. 

Actual charges are billed to a student’s account. These charges are typically tuition, fees, on-campus housing, student health insurance etc. Below are examples of both the cost of attendance and actual charges for the full academic year. To get an estimate for each semester separately, divide the total amount of charges by two. Please visit our Cost of Attendance page for more information.

Eligibility Requirements

The minimum eligibility requirements include:

  • Immediate enrollment as a freshman during the fall semester after high school graduation.
  • Completion of current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • Combined family income of less than 200% of the federal Poverty Guidelines

To apply for the SOAR Ambassador program, complete the web-based Ambassador Scholarship Application.