Military Affairs

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Newly admitted to UNCW?

Congratulations, Seahawk!

We are so excited that you will be joining us as a Military Seahawk! Let's get started by reviewing the processes you will need to complete before you can enroll in classes here.

First, here are the items to be completed by all new students: 

  • Set up your UNCW email and log in to MySeaPort. You'll find information about your UNCW login credentials in your UNCW acceptance letter/acceptance email. 
  • Access your TealTicket through your MySeaPort account. The TealTicket lists necessary action items. Not all items will apply to your situation. 
  • Pay the $100 non-refundable enrollment deposit in MySeaPort. This deposit holds your place in the upcoming class. You will not be able to register for orientation until the deposit is processed, and you will not be able to register for classes until you have completed orientation. This deposit is not covered, either up front or by reimbursement, by the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Montgomery GI Bill, Dependents Education Assistance, the Fry Scholarship, Tuition Assistance (TA), or military college or commissioning programs. 
  • Send updated transcripts if you are currently enrolled in another institution (send to the Office of Admissions at UNCW). 
  • Register for the mandatory Transfer Student Orientation or First-Year Orientation and pay the $100 orientation fee. This fee is necessary to hold your place in the orientation session, and it helps pay the student Orientation Leaders. Parents and guests of transfer students may also register for the orientation sessions for a fee of $85. If you are stationed overseas, please contact the Office of Transitions at transitions@uncw.edu or (910) 962-3089 for more information about how to complete your required orientation. You will not be able to register for classes until you have completed orientation (the exception is for RIBN or RN-BSN programs, which do not require orientation). This fee is not covered, either up front or by reimbursement, by the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Montgomery GI Bill, Dependents Education Assistance, the Fry Scholarship, Tuition Assistance (TA), or military college or commissioning programs. 
  • Complete your Degree Audit so that you are prepared for orientation, when you will meet with your academic advisor. Note that recently completed coursework may not yet appear on the audit. 
  • Submit your Immunizations and Medical History form. This form is required for all students except for online-only students. You will not be able to attend classes if this form is not on file. Contact immunizations@uncw.edu for more information about how to complete the form. 
  • Complete the Health Insurance information. Students on university campuses are required to have health insurance. Students may accept UNCW's student health insurance or may waive the student plan if they have proof of other health insurance; the enrollment/waiver process must be completed each semester. Students may opt to have more than one kind of health insurance. Student health insurance will be listed as an additional fee on the student's bill. The Post-9/11 GI Bill will cover the student health insurance fee, if not waived (students will check the appropriate box on the VA Class Schedule Form after registering for classes). For access to Tricare proof of health coverage, visit milConnect. Students enrolled on in on-campus courses for fewer than 6 credit hours per semester and online-only students do not pay the health fee or use the UNCW health center, but must submit the waiver each semester. 
  • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and/or the Summer FAFSA. All students are encouraged to submit the FAFSA, regardless of other types of financial support the student may be receiving, such as military or VA educational benefits. 
  • Review your residency determination via your SeaNet account (search "residency"). If you are listed as an in-state resident, no further action is required. If you are listed as an out-of-state resident, but you think you meet the requirements for in-state residency, you may begin the appeals process by calling the North Carolina Residency Determination Service at 844-319-3640. If you are not eligible for North Carolina state residency, you may be eligible to apply for the Veteran's Choice Act, which will grant a waiver for the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition rates. If you have questions about the Veteran's Choice Act, please contact Micah Jarrett in the Office of Admissions (jarrettma@uncw.edu; 910-962-2550).  
  • Review the cost of attendance. Contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (finaid@uncw.edu; 910-962-3177) for further assistance with understanding financial aid and military or VA benefits.  
  • Submit a photo for your UNCW OneCard (campus ID card) so that you can pick it up the morning of orientation. 

VA Benefits

If you are planning to use VA benefits (such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill) at UNCW, please visit our VA Benefits Resource page to learn more about the next steps. We recommend completing the VA application for benefits prior to orientation (this also applies to transfer students who have used their benefits at another school). 

VA Benefits Resources

Military Education Programs 

Students who are interested in using Tuition Assistance (TA) need to proceed to the appropriate website below to begin: 

Army

Navy

Marine Corps

Air Force

Coast Guard

You are eligible to apply for financial aid and scholarships. If you have questions about billing and which costs are covered by TA, please contact our Third Party Billing office at thirdpartybilling@uncw.edu. Learn more about the UNCW Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Defense. 

Advising

You will go to your first advising appointment during your orientation. To prepare for your appointment, review the list of required coursework for your degree program using the University College major and minor program sheets. Write down a list of questions you have about your degree plan. You will be able to register for classes after you have completed your advising appointment. 

You may want to consider registering for UNI 201, the Transfer Student Seminar. This course is only open to transfer students during their first full semester at UNCW (if you start over the summer, you would be eligible to take the course in the fall). UNI 201 is a three-credit, seated course that will introduce you to other transfer students and help you get acclimated to life at UNCW. It counts toward two University College requirements--both the writing intensive requirement and the information literacy requirement. Melanie Nelson, the Military Student Services Specialist, teaches one of the sections of this course. 

You may also want to consider signing up for the Teal Bridge Mentor program. This program features peer mentors who were once transfer students themselves. New transfer students are assigned to a trained peer mentor, who meets with students throughout the semester for social events on campus and off. 

Honors College

Military-affiliated students often find that they are a good fit for the UNCW Honors College. The Honors College allows students to participate in small classes with dedicated faculty mentorship. The honors designation on your transcript and diploma may help you be a more competitive candidate for graduate programs and jobs. Learn more about student veterans' experiences in the Honors College.  

Parking Services

Students who are veterans or who are currently serving in the military receive a $20 discount on UNCW parking permits. You are eligible to apply for a parking permit via MySeaPort after you have registered for classes; check the appropriate box on the application to indicate your military service status.

Parking Services will contact you with your zone assignment and information about when to pick up your parking permit at the OneCard office in Warwick Center. Permits are assigned "first come, first served" based upon time of registration, with no advantage by class standing (i.e. Senior, Junior, Sophomore, Freshman). 

Payment for the parking permit is not due at time of application; the fee is added to the OneCard and payment will be due when the bill is due. For example, if you register in April for classes for the following fall semester, you may also register for a parking permit in April, then pay for the parking permit when the bill is due in July.

The parking permit discount is not available for military spouses or dependents at this time. 

 Please visit the Parking Services website for more information, maps of parking zones, and shuttle schedules.

Housing

UNCW offers on-campus housing to both first-year and transfer students, although transfer students have a more limited selection. If you wish to live on campus as a transfer student, you will need to submit the housing deposit via MySeaPort as soon as possible. If you are using the Post-9/11 GI Bill, remember that the Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) payment will not be paid directly to the school, even if you are living on campus. The MHA payment will be paid directly to your personal bank account, and you will be responsible for paying the bill for your housing arrangements on time. 

Off-campus housing is also available to UNCW students; the PERCH offers more information about off-campus housing options.

UNCW Bookstore

After you have completed orientation and registered for classes, you will be ready to purchase or rent your textbooks. You may set up a personal shopping appointment at the UNCW Bookstore to help you avoid crowds at the UNCW bookstore; email ctr-hewettc@uncw.edu to make the appointment. 

It is recommended that students attend the first class session for each of their courses prior to purchasing their textbooks, given that instructors sometimes vary the required texts from what is listed at the bookstore. 

Please keep in mind that if you are using the Post-9/11 or Forever GI Bill, your first book stipend payment may be delayed for several weeks after the start of the term during the first semester you are using the benefit. The first payment usually comes in around October 1 for the fall semester and around March 1 for the spring semester. You may pay for your books out-of-pocket or by credit card; you also have the option of signing up for the Bookstore Dollars program, which will add bookstore purchases to your UNCW bill via your OneCard. Payment for Bookstore Dollars is due when the bill is due.

Military Payment Plan

You may also consider setting up a military payment plan through your student account once your bill is available, which will divide the payments for your bill and delay the first payment. Please contact Sissy Hendricks in Student Accounts for more information about the military payment plan, which you may set up through your eBill (910-962-3147 or hendricksl@uncw.edu). 

Scholarships 

All students may apply for general UNCW scholarships; the application is open December 1-March 1. This category includes three scholarships that are designated specifically for military-affiliated students; students apply for these scholarships through the general UNCW scholarship application found in the link above. 

A variety of local, state, regional, and national organizations offer scholarships for military-affiliated students; eligibility requirements and application deadlines vary. 

Students who are using the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NCDMVA) scholarship may contact our Third Party Billing office for assistance (thirdpartybilling@uncw.edu).   

Need help? 

Let's break it down to the basics: 

  1. Complete the items on your TealTicket in MySeaPort (enrollment fee, orientation fee, immunizations records, health insurance options). 
  2. Verify your residency status and take action as described above.
  3. Complete the items to launch your VA or military program educational benefits. 
  4. Make plans for housing (as applicable). 
  5. Attend orientation; register for classes and a parking permit. 

If you have questions, please email Melanie Nelson, Military Student Services Specialist (nelsonms@uncw.edu). 

Best of luck getting started, and again, congratulations, Seahawk! Check us out on social media for information about current events (Facebook and Twitter: @uncwmilitaryaffairs; Instagram: @uncw_oma). 

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