Fees, Expenses, and Financial Aid

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The following is a schedule of fees per semester. Tuition rates are reviewed and set annually by the North Carolina legislature. At this time, tuition and fees for the 2005-2006 school year have not been approved and the schedule of fees represents estimated rates. These rates are likely to change with final approval and should be used as an estimate when figuring your expenses for 2005-2006. The University reserves the right to alter any charges without prior notice.

1. Full-time Graduate Student
   

   Tuition and required fees, North Carolina			$1,672.25
   Tuition and required fees, out-of-state			$6,464.75
   RESIDENCE HALLS
   	Standard Residence Hall
   		Single room	$1,782.00
   		Double room	$1,064.00
   	Robertson Apartments (married housing)
   		Efficiencies	$2,048.00
   		One bedroom apartments	$2,226.00
   	Madison Hall (graduate housing)		$2,196.00
   MEAL PLANS
   80 All-you-care-to-eat meals per semester plus $600 declining balance			$1,050.00
   125 All-you-care-to-eat meals per week plus $600 declining balance			$1,200.00
   Declining Balance-Upper Classman			$   850.00
   Commuter Declining balance points			$     50.00 or more

   
   

   PER SEMESTER CHARGES DETAIL
   Full-time		North Carolina Student Graduate		Out-of-state Graduate
   Tuition		$ 861.50		$5,654.00
   * Required Fees		$ 810.75		$ 810.75
   ** Book Rental Fee		-		-
   *** Room (standard double)		$1,064.00		$1,064.00
   **** Board (declining balance) Upper Classman		$ 850.00		$ 850.00
   TOTALS		$3,586.25		$8,378.75

   
   * Required fees include: Health Services, $95.50; Student Activity, $260.75; Athletics, $214; Athletic Facilities, $56; Documents Fee, $5.00; Education and Technology Fee, $85; ASG Fee, 50¢; Student Recreation, $64.00, Transportation Fee, $5.00; Banner Implementation Fee, $25.00.
   ** Textbooks are available to graduate students by purchase only.
   *** With standard residence hall-double room rate.
   **** The all-you-care-to-eat meal plans combine an “All-You-Care-To-Eat” program located at Brown Cafeteria and a declining balance account that can be used at the other food-service locations on campus. “All-You-Care-To-Eat” plans include block meals that can be used any time during the semester, within normal facilities operating hours. Declining Balance meal purchases are deducted throughout the term from a student’s available balance of declining balance points. During the semester, any student with a declining balance account may make additional pre-payments in minimum increments of $50 to increase their balance.
   

   Western Carolina University is a publicly supported institution. Tuition payments and other required fees meet only a part of the total cost of the education of students enrolled. On the average, for each full-time student enrolled in an institution of The University of North Carolina, the State of North Carolina appropriates $8,032.00 per year in public funds to support the educational programs offered.

   Meal Plan. University policy requires students who live in a residence hall to purchase one of the meal plans from the previously listed fee schedule. Special dietary requirements are accommodated by contacting WCU Dining. The deadline for students to change board plans is the last day of course drop/add, for each semester.

   Unused balances that remain in declining balance meal plan accounts at the end of each academic term are not refundable. However, unused balances will be automatically rolled over from fall to spring semester for continuing students only. Unused balances cannot be rolled over to the next fall semester.

   Participation in any of the previously described meal plans is optional for commuting students. Commuting students have the additional option of a declining balance plan in an amount of $50.00 or more, per semester.

2. Part-time Graduate Student
   (8 or fewer hours)
   
   

   Semester Hours Enrolled		North Carolina Student		Out-of-State Student
   1		$271.78		$1,469.98
   2		328.33		1,526.33
   3		600.05		2,996.30
   4		656.40		3,052.65
   5		712.75		3,109.00
   6		984.73		4,578.98
   7		1,041.08		4,635.33
   8		1,097.43		4,691.68

   
   For each course scheduled for audit, a charge will be made equal to the credit hour value of the audited course.
3. Asheville Student
   Fees for all Western Carolina University resident-credit courses taught in Asheville are the same as on the Cullowhee campus. All UNC-A credit courses in which a student enrolls carry an additional cost per credit hour regardless of the fees paid for credit from Western Carolina University.
4. Other Fees
   
   

   Application fee		$40
   Graduation fee		$30
   Cap, gown, and hood		obtained through WCU Bookstore
   Late registration fee		$10

   Certain courses in some fields require laboratory or materials fees in addition to the costs listed in this section. Textbooks are available to graduate students by purchase only.

   Payment of Fees. All charges are due and payable on or before the published payment deadline for each term. Payment by check, in the exact amount of the bill, is recommended. In accordance with state policy, a processing fee of $25 is assessed for returned checks.

   Late Registration. With approved reason for delay, a student may register for classes after the regular registration date with the payment of a late registration fee. Students entering late must show satisfactory reason and obtain approval from the Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, who reserves the right to reduce the number of hours for which a late entrant may register.

   Textbooks. Graduate students purchase all textbooks regardless of course level. Textbooks for courses numbered 500 and above are available for purchase at the WCU Bookstore. Graduate students may purchase textbooks for courses numbered below 500 at the book rental department located in the WCU Bookstore.

Students who withdraw from one or more courses during a term, but who remain enrolled in the university, must follow the procedures published in the master class schedule booklet in order to be officially removed from the class rolls. Grading policies applicable in the event of withdrawal are stated in the Academic Regulations section of this catalog.

Students withdrawing from the university during a term must secure a withdrawal form from the office of the assistant to the vice chancellor for student affairs, obtain the necessary signatures, and return the form to the assistant to the vice chancellor for student affairs. If an emergency prevents a student from completing the withdrawal process before leaving the campus, the student should call, write, or arrange for a friend or relative to contact the Office for Student Affairs.

Students who interrupt or terminate their education at the university during or at the end of a term for any reason are responsible for clearing any indebtedness in the following areas: residential living, bookstore, financial aid office, cashier’s office, library, university police department, academic departments, and health services.

Academic Year Tuition and Fees. During a fall or spring semester, a full-time or part-time student who withdraws from the university before the first day of classes will be refunded 100 percent of tuition and fees. Students who withdraw from the university beginning the first day of classes are entitled to refunds of tuition and fees in accordance with the following schedule:

Students who withdraw from the university as a result of involuntary recall to military service, pursuant to a presidential order authorizing the call-up of reservists, and who are thereby prevented from receiving credit for the courses in which he/she is enrolled, will be entitled to a full refund of tuition and fees. Refunds of room and board charges will be prorated based on the number of days the dormitory room was occupied and the meal ticket was used. Students having the declining balance meal plan will be refunded the actual account balance at the time of withdrawal.

Students who reduce their course loads during the registration period for the semester as defined in this catalog, but who continue to be enrolled in the university, will have their tuition and fees adjusted fully to reflect only the number of semester hours in which they remain enrolled. Part-time students are eligible for a refund based on the semester hour tuition rate. Full-time students are eligible for a refund only when course loads are reduced below the minimum hours required to qualify as full-time. No adjustment will be made for reduced loads after the close of the registration period. However, students who drop all courses must withdraw from the university. They are, therefore, eligible only for the partial refunds that apply to university withdrawals.

Summer School Tuition and Fees. A student who withdraws from summer school before the first day of classes will be refunded 100 percent of tuition and fees. Students who withdraw the first day of class or after are eligible for refunds through the first 50 percent of the summer terms. The refund prorations for summer school are available from the university cashier’s office.

Summer school students who reduce their course loads by one or more semester hours within three days following regular registration or on or before the date of the second class meeting, whichever is later, will have tuition and fees adjusted to reflect the number of semester hours in which they remain enrolled.

Room and Board. Refunds of room and rent for any semester or summer term will be calculated at the same rate as tuition and fees.

Meal tickets refunds for standard plans will be calculated based on a prorated daily balance. Meal ticket refunds for declining balance plans will be based on the actual balance remaining on the student account at the time of withdrawal. All-you-care-to-eat meal plans have a standard declining balance component. Refunds for all-you-care-to-eat plans will be based on the policy applicable to each component. Refunds will not be made for the last two weeks of a semester or for the last week of a summer session.

Exceptions. Exceptions to these policies may be made if a student withdraws from the university for reasons of hardship. These reasons are defined as (1) death of the student, (2) death in the student’s immediate family, (3) a medical condition that compels withdrawal upon recommendation of the Director of the Student Health Service, or (4) a mental health condition that compels withdrawal upon recommendation of the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services. The vice chancellor for student affairs must approve, and notify the university cashier’s office, of any refunds or account adjustments for hardship situations. The university cashier’s office will take appropriate action to make final settlement of the student’s account. Any other exceptions require approval by the chancellor.

All refunds, regardless of the source of payment, will be made by a check payable to the student.

Teaching, research, and service assistantships are available for a limited number of well-qualified graduate students. Graduate assistantship application forms are available from the Graduate School. Applicants for graduate study who wish to be considered for such assistantships should complete an application form and submit it to the Graduate School. In addition, the applicant may want to address a letter of application to the head of the intended major department or attach a letter to the application form. Consideration for possible appointment to an assistantship can then be given after a decision has been made concerning admission to graduate study. Stipends vary from approximately $6,000 to $8,500, based on a 20-hour per week work assignment. In addition, the in-state and/or out-of-state portion of tuition may be waived for some, but not all, of these assistantships.

Students receiving assistantships will be expected to be registered as full-time students. Continuation of the appointment depends upon satisfactory performance of duties and upon satisfactory academic achievement (3.0 GPA on all graduate coursework attempted). In order to have a graduate assistantship, students must be admitted into a graduate program and must provide their Social Security card.

A limited number of chancellor’s fellowships are available to well-qualified graduate students each fall semester. The awards, based on merit, are intended to encourage and assist superior students in pursuing graduate studies in the minimum time possible. The value of each fellowship is $6,000 per academic year and carries no work requirement. Students are required to be registered for a minimum of nine semester hours each semester. Application deadline is April 15. Forms are available from the Graduate School.

Each semester the Graduate School awards a number of Graduate School study grants. These grants are designed to support well-qualified graduate students by paying $300 per semester. Students must register for a minimum of three semester hours. There is no work requirement and the awards are made on the basis of merit as reflected by the student’s application file. Application deadline is May 15 for fall semester and November 15 for spring semester. Forms are available from the Graduate School.

Established by Maurice B. and Anna C. Morrill, this fund is to help provide and promote desirable research relating to the improvement of teaching at any educational level. The purpose is to enhance abilities of graduate students in education to produce and use quality research. Application forms are available in the Office of the Dean, College of Education and Allied Professions, 222 Killian; Office of Research and Graduate Studies, 440 H.F. Robinson Administration Building; all departmental offices, College of Education and Allied Professions; and Office for WCU Programs in Asheville, 120 Karpen Hall. Deadline is September 1.

This scholarship is awarded to a graduate student in the Department of Health and Human Performance. Priority consideration is given to students studying to teach physical education. Contact the Physical Education Graduate Program coordinator.

The university maintains an Office of Financial Aid. This office can furnish more detailed information concerning loans, work-study, and other work opportunities. The various types of aid are described in the undergraduate catalog, and a financial aid brochure is available upon request.

The university is approved for the training of Veterans Affairs benefit recipients. This institution is approved under the provisions of Title 38 United States Code, Chapter 36. Persons eligible and entitled under provisions of Chapters 30, 31, 32, 34, 35 and Section 901 and 903, and Title 10 United States Code, Chapters 106 and 107 may enroll in programs approved by the North Carolina States Approving Agency. All inquiries concerning veteran educational benefits should be addressed to the Veterans Affairs Certifying Office, Office of Registrar, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723, or interested parties may call 828-227-7216.

Western Carolina University is dedicated to providing reasonable accommodations necessary to students with disabilities. Academic accommodations supported by proper documentation are provided through the Office of Student Support Services, Killian Annex, Room 248, 828-227-7127. Section 504/ADA accessibility issues are handled through the Office for Student Affairs, 460 H.F. Robinson Administration Building, 828-227-7234.

North Carolina General Statute 116-143, 1-2-3 governs tuition status. Each student will be subject to the following:

To qualify for in-state tuition, a legal resident must have maintained his or her permanent domicile in North Carolina for at least twelve months immediately prior to his or her classification as a resident for tuition purposes. In order to be eligible for such classification, the individual must establish that his or her presence in the state during such twelve-month period was for purposes of maintaining a bona fide domicile rather than for purposes of mere temporary residence incident to enrollment in an institution of higher education.

Student residential classification, for purposes of applicable tuition rates, is required to be changed if, since original establishment of a student’s current classification, the state of legal residence has changed.

Certain members of the armed services and their dependent relatives may be eligible to be charged less than the out-of-state tuition rate. Included among the requirements are that the member of the armed services and a relative claiming the benefit through a member be living together in North Carolina incident to the supporting member’s active duty and that the applicant for the benefit qualify for academic admission at the pertinent institution.

A student currently classified as a nonresident for tuition purposes has the right to petition for a change in classification to that of resident if he or she claims that he or she is now and, for at least the twelve-month period immediately preceding the date of such petition, has been a legal resident of the state of North Carolina. If it is determined that in fact a legal residency has existed for the required twelve-month period, the effective date of change in applicable tuition rates shall be the next semester, quarter, or term following the date of change in facts which required the change in classification.

A student currently classified as a resident for tuition purposes has the obligation to petition for a change in classification to that of a nonresident if there is reasonable basis for believing that change in fact requires such a change in classification. Failure to fulfill this obligation may result in appropriate disciplinary action including, but not necessarily limited to, cancellation of enrollment. If it is determined that in fact a student has become a nonresident, the effective date of change in applicable tuition rates shall be the next semester, quarter, or term following the date of change in facts which required the change in classification.

Copies of the applicable North Carolina law and regulations which govern such classification determinations are available in the Office of Admissions, Academic Services, Graduate School, and Office for Student Affairs for inspection upon request. The student is responsible for being familiar with these regulations.

Waiver of Tuition for North Carolina Residents Aged 65. Legal residents of North Carolina who have attained the age of 65 and who meet applicable admission standards may enroll on a tuition-free basis if space is available but must pay required fees. Further information is available from the registrar.