Cost of Attendance
The cost of attendance for graduate study depends on four things: (1) the location of study (main campus, online, or at a remote site/distance education), (2) your North Carolina residency status, (3) how many hours you enroll in, and (4) the degree program you are pursuing (some programs charge a tuition differential). You can find full details about tuition and fees on the Student Accounts website. Here are some details to help you understand the costs:
- Location of Study: Students enrolled at a remote site or in an online program will be assessed fees at a lower rate than on-campus students because they do not have access to the some campus facilities and services that are covered by student fees.
- Full and Part-Time Enrollment: Students pay according to the number of hours taken. Students enrolled in 9 or more hours are considered full time and pay the full-time rate. Students enrolled in 8 or fewer credits are considered part-time aand are assessed tuition and fees based on the number of enrolled credits.
- Summer Enrollment: Students pay tuition per credit hour, with reduced fees. Enrollment is limited to a maximum of 6 hours in either summer term, or a total of 12 hours for the full summer session.
- NC Residency: The State of North Carolina subsidizes tuition costs for its residents. Out-of-state students are charged a significantly higher tuition rate, but Appalachian does offer tuition scholarships for out-of-state students on a competitive basis (see below). Residency status is determined by the State's Residency Determination Service. More information can be found on our Residency page.
Sources of Financial Support
Federal Financial Aid
Degree-seeking and certificate-seeking students who are US citizens or permanent residents and are enrolled at least 1/2 time (5 hours) are eligible for Federal Student Loans (Stafford or PLUS) for most programs. The location of your program (on or off campus) doesn't matter. Non-degree students are not eligible for Federal aid. Contact the Office of Student Financial Aid for information.
Assistantships, Fellowships, and Scholarships
Regularly admitted, full-time, main campus, degree-seeking students are eligible for assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships. Because of the source of this funding, non-degree, certificate-seeking, off-campus, and part-time students are not eligible. If you were admitted provisionally, you are not eligible in your first semester of enrollment.
- NC Tuition Scholarships for Out-of-State Students: This competitive scholarship is available to eligible (3.4 minimum GPA) international and out-of-state students and covers a substantial portion of the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition (approximately $6,500 per semester). Nominations are made by the program director or department chair. Contact the director of the program to which you have been admitted to request consideration for this scholarship.
- Graduate Assistantships: Each department has funds to hire graduate students as teaching, research, or general graduate assistants. Be sure to let the program director know if you are interested in a position. Assistantships are also available iin other offices on campus. See the Assistantships page for more information about open positions.
- Chancellor's and Provost's Fellowships: Chancellor's and Provost's Fellowships are awarded to top-performing new students and are highly competitive. Eligible newly-admitted students will be sent an invitation to apply for these awards. Consult the Scholarships page for more information about these awards.
- Diversity Fellowships: The Diversity Fellowship is intended to provide greater access to graduate school for students from underrepresented groups. Eligible newly-admitted students will be sent an invitation to apply for this award. More information can be found on the Scholarships page.
- Departmental Scholarships: A number of individual colleges and departments offer scholarships for students in specific programs, some of which are listed on our Scholarships page. Contact your program director for more information.
More information
Refer to the Office of Student Financial Aid website for additional information.