Demonstrating its longstanding commitment to access and affordability, UNC Asheville is proud to announce the launch of Access Asheville, a new financial aid program designed to make an exceptional, transformative education attainable for low- and middle-income North Carolinians. This provides an affordable path to pursue an undergraduate college degree for those who may have previously thought it would be out of reach financially.

Access Asheville guarantees full tuition and fees coverage during fall and spring semesters for North Carolina residents whose adjusted gross income (AGI) is $80,000 or less, well above the state’s median household income. Funding for Access Asheville consists of federal, state, and institutional grants and scholarships.

This significant financial commitment from the UNC System’s premier liberal arts and sciences university represents a minimum annual savings of $7,501 per student. Families can estimate their remaining expenses, including room and board and other indirect costs, by visiting the Net Price Calculator at unca.edu/npc.

Students may be eligible for additional financial support upon enrollment, including federal work study and loans. Students can also apply for academic scholarships after attending at least one semester at UNC Asheville.

Qualification for Access Asheville requires the successful completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the residency determination process through North Carolina Residency Determination Service (RDS).

Scholarship and grant funding from Access Asheville is available for up to eight semesters for first-years and seven semesters for transfers, or until degree completion, whichever occurs first. All the eligibility and financial aid requirements indicated below must be met annually.

Eligibility and Requirements:

  • Students must annually complete the FAFSA by UNC Asheville’s priority filing deadlines, demonstrating an AGI of $80,000 or less (fafsa.gov). 
  • Students must be North Carolina residents as determined by the North Carolina RDS (ncresidency.org).
  • Students must enter as a new first-year or transfer undergraduate pursuing their first bachelor’s degree.
  • Students must pursue a course load of at least 15 credit hours per semester.
  • Students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
  • Students can only qualify for Access Asheville upon enrollment to UNC Asheville.

Admission for Spring 2025 and Onward

  • First-year students must apply to UNC Asheville using Common App (commonapp.org) or the College Foundation of North Carolina application (CFNC, cfnc.org).
  • Students entering fall semester must apply by the Feb. 1 Regular Decision deadline.
  • Students entering spring semester must apply by Nov. 15.

Financial Aid for Spring 2025 and Onward

  • Students must annually submit the FAFSA at fafsa.gov to UNC Asheville using Federal School Code 002907.
  • Students must submit the FAFSA by the appropriate priority date:
    • Fall enrollment: March 1
    • Spring enrollment: Nov. 15
  • For questions about the FAFSA (or to request a paper FAFSA), please call the U.S. Department of Education at 1.800.433.3243. If you have a hearing disability, you can call the TDD number at 1.800.730.8913.

Residency

Students must complete residency determination through North Carolina RDS at ncresidency.org.

Admission for Spring 2025 and Onward

  • Transfer students must apply to UNC Asheville using Common App (commonapp.org) or the College Foundation of North Carolina application (CFNC, cfnc.org).
  • Students entering fall semester must apply by June 15.
  • Students entering spring semester must apply by Nov. 15.

Financial Aid for Spring 2025 and Onward

  • Students must annually submit the FAFSA at fafsa.gov to UNC Asheville using Federal School Code 002907.
  • Students must submit the FAFSA by the appropriate priority date:
    • Fall enrollment: June 15
    • Spring enrollment: Nov. 15
  • For questions about the FAFSA (or to request a paper FAFSA), please call the U.S. Department of Education at 1.800.433.3243. If you have a hearing disability, you can call the TDD number at 1.800.730.8913.

Residency

Students must complete residency determination through North Carolina RDS at ncresidency.org.

For undergraduates who received Access Asheville for the first time in Fall 2024.

Financial Aid

  • Applicants must annually submit the FAFSA at fafsa.gov to UNC Asheville using Federal School Code 002907.
  • Students must have submitted their 2024-2025 FAFSA by the appropriate priority date:
    • First-year: Mar. 1
    • Transfer: Mar. 15
  • For questions about the FAFSA (or to request a paper FAFSA), please call the U.S. Department of Education at 1.800.433.3243. If you have a hearing disability, you can call the TDD number at 1.800.730.8913.

Have Questions? Contact the Financial Aid Team! 

Ask questions and get advice from the University of North Carolina Asheville if you need assistance with applying for Financial Aid.

Phone: 828.251.6535
Email: finaid@unca.edu
FAFSA Code: 002907
Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
For more information, visit unca.edu/financialaid