Tuition Surcharge FAQ's

1. What is the tuition surcharge?

In 1993, the North Carolina General Assembly (Senate Bill 27--Section 89b) enacted legislation directing the Board of Governors to impose a 25% tuition surcharge on students who take more than 140 degree-credit hours to complete the first undergraduate baccalaureate degree in a four-year program or more than 110% of the credit hours necessary to complete a five-year program. In 1994, the legislation was modified (Senate Bill 1505--Section17.10) to exempt students who complete the degree in eight regular term semesters or the equivalent (or ten semesters for a five-year program).

2. Who is affected by the tuition surcharge? 

All undergraduate degree-seeking students admitted to ECU beginning Fall 1994 are affected. The surcharge applies to transfer students and freshmen, in-state and out-of-state students. Students enrolled at ECU prior to Fall 1994 are exempt.

3. What counts in the 140 s.h. allowed before the surcharge applies?  

The following are used to compute the 140 s.h.:

(a) all regular semester degree-creditable courses taken at ECU including repeated courses, failed courses, and those dropped after the last date to add a course and

(b) transfer credit hours (up to 98 s.h.) except those taken at another UNC institution through summer school or through degree-credit extension.

4. Is there anything that doesn't count in the 140 s.h.-limit? 

The following are excluded from the 140 s.h.-limit: AP and CLEP credit, bypass credit (e.g., math or foreign language), AERO & MLSC courses, institutional advanced placement credit, summer term credits earned at a UNC institution, and credits earned through the degree-credit extension division at a UNC institution.

5. How will transfer credit affect the 140 s.h.-limit? 

All transfer credits will count toward the 140 s.h.-limit except credit earned in summer school at ECU or at another UNC school. Credit hours earned through UNC degree-credit extension programs are also exempt.(If a student transfers over 98 s.h., he or she is allowed 30 s.h. at ECU before the surcharge applies.)

6. What happens if a student attends summer school out of state or at a private school in North Carolina? 

Any credit earned at any institution except a UNC school will be counted in the 140 s.h.-limit, including credits earned in summer school.

7. What if a student attends summer school at a community college in        North Carolina? 

All credits earned at a community college (regular semester or summer school) count in the 140 s.h.-limit.

8. What if a student has over 140 s.h. but graduates in 4 years or less? 

The 140 s.h.-limit applies only to students who take longer than eight regular term semesters to earn a 4-year baccalaureate degree or ten regular term semesters in a degree program designated by the Board of Governors as a five-year program (BSA/MSA in Accounting at ECU).

9. How much will the tuition surcharge be? 

If a student has 140 s.h. or more, the surcharge is 25% of his other tuition (only tuition, not fees). The surcharge applies to in-state tuition and out-of-state tuition.

10. If a student has 130 s.h. of credit and enrolls for 15 s.h., will he or she have to pay a surcharge? How will it be computed? 

Yes, the student will have to pay a surcharge. He or she will be charged the tuition surcharge in the first semester in which enrollment exceeds140 s.h. The amount of the surcharge is based on the number of hours in excess of 140 s.h. (The exact amount depends on the number of hours for which the student is enrolled and the number of excess hours.)

11.What happens if a student's degree program requires over 128 s.h.?

Two baccalaureate programs at ECU (Art Education and Clinical Laboratory Science) and the combined BSA/MSA in Accounting require more than 128 s.h.  If a student is enrolled in one of these programs, the tuition surcharge applies when he or she exceeds 110% of the required hours for the degree.

12. How does the 140 s.h.-rule apply to students seeking a second undergraduate degree? 

The surcharge will be applied when the student exceeds 110% of the minimum number of additional hours required for the second degree. For example, at ECU the surcharge will apply if the student takes more than 33 hours in a program that requires 30 hours. The 140 s.h.-rule, however,does not apply to non degree students.

13. How does a second undergraduate degree student know how many hours are required for his or her degree? 

To satisfy the requirements for a second undergraduate degree at ECU, a student must complete a minimum of 30 s.h. after satisfying the requirements for the first degree.  The student should meet with the unit administrator in his or her intended major during the first semester of enrollment to determine the number of hours required for the second degree.  The unit administrator will then certify this information on the official form provided by the Office of the Registrar.

14. What happens if a student doesn't have his or her program requirements evaluated by the unit administrator? 

If a program evaluation is not made during the first semester of enrollment, the student may become subject to the tuition surcharge in the second semester.  As soon as the student enrolls for more than 33 s.h., he or she will be billed for the tuition surcharge if no program evaluation is on file in the Office of the Registrar. 

15. Is there an appeal process for tuition surcharge?

The Tuition Surcharge is a fee required by the General Administration of the University of North Carolina System and it is not a ECU fee. There is not an appeal process for this fee.

  128 Semester Hour-Degree Limit 
 

1. What is the "128 s.h.-limit for baccalaureate degree programs"?

Beginning Fall 1995, all baccalaureate degree programs are limited to no more than 128 s.h. Revisions to any undergraduate degree program may not increase required hours to exceed this limit.

2. Are there exceptions to the 128 s.h.-limit? 

Any degree program requiring over 128 s.h. must have the approval of the Board of Governors. ECU has two undergraduate degree programs which have been authorized by the Board of Governors to exceed 128 s.h. Those programs may reduce hours but may not increase them without approval of the Board of Governors.