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Fixed Tuition Program

Learn More About Fixed Tuition

The information below details requirements for eligible and non-eligible students.

Eligible Students

Fixed tuition is available to North Carolina residents who are first-time college students enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program. Students must remain continuously enrolled at the university during the entire tuition period to receive this benefit.

Students who are originally classified as nonresident for tuition purposes and subsequently are reclassified as a resident for tuition purposes will be eligible for fixed tuition at UNCW’s current rate for the balance of their remaining eligibility period.

To be eligible for the fixed tuition rate at UNC Wilmington, you must remain continuously enrolled during the entire tuition period, for fall and spring semesters, in courses creditable toward a bachelor’s degree.

Eligible transfer students receive fixed tuition for a prorated time period, based on credits accumulated at the transferring institution(s).

Non-Eligible Students

The following students are not eligible for the Fixed Tuition Program and will be billed based on the current year’s tuition rates:

  • Non-resident students (students from outside of North Carolina)
  • Graduate students
  • Continuing Education students
  • Students currently enrolled in a cooperative innovative high school/early college
  • Consortium, or Dual-Enrollment program
  • Second degree-seeking students
  • Non-degree seeking students
  • UNC Online student
  • Students whose fixed tuition guarantee(cohort) has expired

Eligible students can lock in their initial tuition rate for up to eight semesters based on the tuition rate during their first semester of study at UNCW. The cohort and tuition rate to which a student is initially assigned is based on the term in which the student first enrolls at UNCW.

For example, if a newly enrolled freshman non-transfer student enters UNCW in the Fall 2021 semester, the Guarantee for that student will generally expire at the end of the Spring 2025 semester.

First-year students can receive their fixed tuition rate for eight consecutive semesters (not including summer).

Transfer students and current students with newly reclassified residency can receive fixed tuition for an appropriate, pro-rated number of consecutive semesters.

At the end of the fixed tuition period, the cost of tuition for any additional academic semesters reverts to the amount of the current tuition rate at UNCW.

Students are no longer eligible for the current rate of fixed tuition at UNCW when they break continuous enrollment at UNCW.

Continuous Enrollment Guidelines

If you are not enrolled during two consecutive semesters at UNCW, this is considered a “break in continuous enrollment. Students are not required to be enrolled during the summer terms to maintain continuous enrollment.

If you completely withdraw from UNCW before the 10th day of the term, you will be deemed to have broken continuous enrollment. If you completely withdraw from UNCW after the 10th day of the term, and then re-enroll the following semester (not including summer semesters), you will not be deemed to have broken continuous enrollment, and may re-enroll at the same fixed tuition rate.

The semester during which you withdrew will be counted in the designated fixed-tuition time period.

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