The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, or more commonly known as UNC-Chapel Hill, is an excellent public university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Since its founding in 1789, it has provided many students an opportunity to receive higher education so that they can be better prepared for life. In this article, we will be focusing on the UNC-Chapel Hill scholarships and financial aid. So, let’s get started.
Cost of Attendance
Before we look at scholarships that are available at UNC, we need to discuss how much is the cost in the first place. Because UNC is a public state university, the tuition rate varies according to your residency. For students living in North Carolina, the total cost of attendance is $24,000, and in that, there are $9,000 tuition fee, $11,000 room and board, and the rest are personal expenses. For students outside of North Carolina, the cost becomes $52,000 due to the non-resident tuition fee.
These total cost is a lot, and even frankly unaffordable by most families. However, you can decrease the cost significantly by receiving UNC-Chapel Hill Scholarships. So, let’s discuss the ways that you can reduce your costs!
Financial Aid
UNC-Chapel Hill has some unique financial aid programs that they offer. One of them is the Carolina Covenant.
1. Carolina Covenant
Carolina Covenant is an initiative to help low-income families to afford to send their children to college. This promises students from families whose income is below $48,400 to graduate debt-free. This is possible due to scholarships, grants, and work-study that UNC-Chapel Hill will provide to eligible students. Approximately 14% of the students at the university is a recipient of this covenant.
Now we will be looking at the specific types of financial aid available to incoming students.
UNC-Chapel Hill Scholarships
There are some very prestigious scholarships that are given in the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Here, we will discuss these scholarships in more detail. If it is not specifically stated under each scholarship that a separate application is needed, then you will be automatically be considered. The only two that require separate applications are Morehead-Cain and Robertson Program.
Need-Based Scholarships
These awards are given primarily based on need, but you do need to have academic merit to be qualified.
1. James M. Johnston Awards
This scholarship is one of the most prestigious awards in UNC-Chapel Hill. You will need to be an excellent student during high school to receive this scholarship. The award depends on your financial need. You are guaranteed with $1,000 a year along with additional benefits if you don’t have any financial need. If you do, your award increases in proportion to your need.
2. Wood Family Scholarships
This scholarship is given by the Wood Family, who are alumni of UNC-Chapel Hill. The scholarship is $7,000 a year for four years, and the scholarship brings additional benefits such as networking, special dinners, special speakers, career workshops, and mentoring programs.
3. Blue Sky Scholarship Program
This program is for middle-income students from North Carolina. The award is $7,500 scholarship and $2,500 work-study per year and also are eligible for one-time $2,500 fund for research, internship, or study abroad.
Merit-Based Scholarships
This type of scholarship is given primarily based on merit, which includes GPA, SAT/ACT Scores, leadership, extracurricular activities, etc.
1. Morehead-Cain Scholarships
This scholarship is a fully funded scholarship, meaning that it provides full tuition, room, and board for the scholarship recipients for all four years, provided that certain requirements are met such as GPA. There are approximately 75 new scholarships that are given each year. These scholars go through the competitive selection process to receive this excellent scholarship. You will need to submit a separate scholarship application to be eligible.
2. Robertson Scholarships
This is another fully funded scholarship offered at UNC-Chapel Hill. It covers full tuition, room, and board for all for years and funds for up to three summer experiences for its scholars. Like Morehead-Cain, you will need to submit a separate application to apply. This scholarship looks for students who demonstrate the following: Leadership, Intellectual Curiosity, Strength of Character, and Collaborative Spirit. If these words describe you, you should definitely consider applying!
3. Old Well and Founders Scholarship
This scholarship is given to incoming freshmen from North Carolina. It is a minimum of $3,000 award.
4. College Fellows Scholarships
This scholarship is given to incoming freshmen who are North Carolina residents. The award is $2,500 a year.
5. MacDonald Community Service Scholarships
This scholarship is given to students who have demonstrated a commitment to service. The maximum amount of scholarship is $5,000 a year.
I hope that this list of scholarships offered at UNC-Chapel Hill was informative. If you want to look at the specific criteria for different scholarships, You should go to UNC-Chapel Hill Scholarships!
How to Apply to Scholarships
To apply for scholarships other than Morehead-Cain and Robertson, you will need to submit two forms: FAFSA and CSS Profile. These two forms will determine your financial need to be factored into the selection process. To apply for Morehead-Cain and Robertson, you will need to submit those two forms as well as submit a separate application for each.
The deadline for FAFSA and CSS Profile is March 1. The Morehead-Cain and Robertson have different deadlines so make sure to check the Scholarship Page!
Grants
The university offers many types of grants, which are money that does not need to be repaid. You can see the list at the Grants Page.
There is no separate application to apply except for the same application as scholarships, which are CSS Profile and FAFSA. You need to submit these by the March 1 deadline.
I hope that this article on UNC-Chapel Hill Scholarships and Financial Aid was helpful. If you are from North Carolina, I highly suggest that you look at the North Carolina Scholarships Category. If you are not, it would not hurt to go to Authority Scholarships Website and look at the universities in your state. These will likely be affordable to you. So, good luck on your admissions journey!
