UNC Asheville Covers Tuition And Fees For Families Earning Up To $100,000 In North Carolina Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia
This week, the University of North Carolina Asheville announced that it is raising the income eligibility threshold for Access Asheville, its tuition and fees guarantee for North Carolina families, from $90,000 to $100,000 in adjusted gross income (AGI). The change takes effect for new first-year or transfer undergraduate students entering in Fall 2027.
Access Asheville income threshold increases to $100,000 AGI.
New first-year and transfer undergraduate students entering Fall 2027.
North Carolina residents have the cost of tuition and mandatory fees reduced to zero after federal, state, and institutional grants and scholarships are applied.
Families in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia have the cost of tuition and fees reduced to $10,000 after all federal and institutional grants and scholarships are applied.
Complete information about Access Asheville, including additional eligibility criteria, can be found here.
Under the higher threshold, eligible North Carolina families with an AGI of $100,000 or less will see UNC Asheville cover the remaining cost of tuition and mandatory fees after federal, state, and institutional grants and scholarships are applied. This represents a minimum annual savings of $7,628 per student.
“Access Asheville exists because a $10,000 gap between what a family can pay and what a degree costs simply cannot be the reason a talented North Carolina student doesn't pursue an education,” said Meghan Harte Weyant, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. “Every year we hear from hardworking Western North Carolina families who make too much for some aid programs and too little to be able to write a tuition check. Those students, those families, deserve a clear pathway to a degree, and UNC Asheville is committed to closing that gap.”
Additionally, eligible Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia residents are guaranteed to have their tuition and fees reduced to $10,000 after all federal and institutional grants and scholarships are applied, which is a minimum annual savings of $14,914 per student.
Students and families can estimate their remaining expenses, including room and board and other indirect costs, by using UNC Asheville’s Net Price Calculator. Students may be eligible for additional financial support upon enrollment, including Federal Work-Study and loans.
Qualification for Access Asheville requires completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). North Carolina students must also complete the residency determination process through the North Carolina Residency Determination Service (RDS). Students from Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia must list a permanent address on their FAFSA.
