• If you are on active duty military and stationed in North Carolina, you qualify for in-state tuition.
• If you have dependents living with you while you are stationed in North Carolina, they also qualify for in-state tuition. (This is a wonderful opportunity for your spouse to further his or her education or for your children to enroll in one of the best higher education systems in the nation at a bargain cost.)
• If you or any of your dependents are enrolled in a UNC or community college program and you are transferred out of state, the in-state tuition rate continues to apply as long as you or they remain continuously enrolled in the degree program. (Online programs, especially, make it easy for you to continue taking classes if you are transferred.)
• If you or your dependents are enrolled in a UNC or community college program and you separate from the military or retire while you are stationed in NC, the in-state tuition rate continues to apply as long as you take the steps necessary to make NC your legal residence within a year.

Review the full text of the North Carolina military tuition statutes here.

Students admitted to The University of North Carolina's online programs learn the same material and benefit from the same high-quality educational experience as campus-based students. Online classes are designed and taught by the same faculty who teach classes in on-campus programs.  When you graduate from a UNC institution, no distinction is made between online or on-campus credits.  Your degree is from UNC. 

Online and campus experiences are not identical. Students certainly benefit from being immersed in the rich learning environment available on campus. But online learning provides ample opportunities for students to interact with instructors and fellow students and has the advantage of being flexible and convenient. Many students prefer online learning, citing, among other things, a greater willingness to express their views to instructors and classmates.

Your online classmates will generally be like you—people with job and family responsibilities who seek the many benefits of higher education. Faculty members who teach online students frequently praise the high motivation, keen interest, and excellent study habits of "non-traditional" students.

Online classes are not "canned" or "cookie cutter" experiences. Each online course reflects the teaching perspective of the faculty member who designed it and teaches it, and employs technology and learning experiences appropriate to the course content. As instructors transform their classroom courses for the online environment, they often make content revisions they susequently incorporate into their on-campus classes.

On-campus or online, The University of North Carolina is dedicated to maintaining the academic excellence for which it has been known for more than two centuries.

• Click here for an up-to-date list of UNC transfer counselors.

Contrary to popular perception, online courses are more—not less—difficult than conventional courses. Prospective students should complete an online self assessment and critically and honestly gauge whether they possess the personal discipline and study skills to successfully complete a college program online.

UNC Greensboro's online self-assessment tool, one of the most useful resources on the Web, is available here. Its equally valuable study skills questionnaire is available here.

The quality of online courses and programs is extremely important to the faculty and administration of the sixteen campuses of The University of North Carolina. We strive to achieve the highest level of instructional quality and student satisfaction in all our online offerings. Our online offerings adhere to several external standards of quality.

1. All sixteen institutions in The University of North Carolina are accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).  SACS is one of six regional accrediting agencies recognized by the National Board of Education.  Earning college credit from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency is the surest way to have your college credit recognized and accepted by employers and other universities. SACS has quality standards for distance education programs that all courses and programs affiliated with The University of North Carolina Online must follow. 
2. Many of our programs and departments are individually accredited by discipline-specific accrediting agencies. We encourage students to inquire of their prospective programs about program-level accreditation.
3. The University of North Carolina endorses the Southern Regional Education Board's (SREB's) Principles of Good Practice. A consortium of the K-20 educational systems of the sixteen southeastern states, SREB works with state governments and other stakeholders to improve teaching and learning. 
   
4. The UNC Online Quality Workgroup, comprising representatives from all campuses, works in partnership with The UNC Faculty Assembly to continuously update campuses on best practices in online teaching and learning. Through the work of this group, all UNC institutions have documented the processes and policies they use to ensure that online courses are of the highest quality.

If you already know what type of online program you are seeking, you can use this site to identify that program and contact it directly for more information. On the other hand, if you wish to consider your educational options, we invite you to visit the online education websites of UNC's sixteen campuses. As you explore these sites, you will discover a variety of useful information and features. You will also find information about site-based distance education programs offered by UNC institutions at community colleges, military bases, public schools, hospitals, and other locations around the state.

Appalachian State University

East Carolina University

Elizabeth City State University

Fayetteville State University

North Carolina A&T State University

North Carolina Central University

North Carolina State University

UNC Asheville

UNC Chapel Hill

UNC Charlotte

UNC Greensboro

UNC Pembroke

UNC Wilmington

Western Carolina University

Winston-Salem State University

Cost

UNC and NC community college in-state tuition rates are available to you. North Carolina's in-state tuition rates, both for UNC and community colleges, are some of the lowest in the nation.

Convenience

UNC is nline and close to home.  The University of North Carolina online programs offer learning at your own pace and on your own schedule as well as face-to-face counseling and assistance when you need it.

Support

The University of North Carolina and the North Carolina Community College System support you every step of the way during your online program with appropriate academic advising, technological assistance, library access, faculty interaction, and tuition payment processing.

Accreditation

All UNC institutions are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. This regional accreditation process is the primary way that quality is ensured in U.S. higher education. Many institutions will not accept transfer credit from organizations that do not have such accreditation.

Quality

All UNC online degree programs adhere to standards and principles that ensure a high quality online educational experience, including the Principles of Good Practice advocated by the Southern Regional Education Board's Electronic Campus.

Choice

You may choose from over 170 online degree and certificate programs available from UNC institutions, making your selection based on the degree program and campus that is the best match for you.

Careers

UNC online degree programs focus on career advancement areas, both in the military and in civilian life. You may choose baccalaureate completion programs in teaching, business, technology, computer science, nursing, criminal justice, and other areas. Graduate level online degree programs are available in the high-demand areas of business, technology, education, and health sciences, where advanced degrees are increasingly necessary.

Reputation

A degree from a University of North Carolina institution will be respected not only in North Carolina—where we hope you will make your home—but also throughout the nation. You can take great pride in receiving your degree from one of the most respected university systems in the world.

Your degree programs go with you. The University of North Carolina is committed to working with service members and their families. Provided you remain on active duty, you will retain your in-state tuition rate.

Students who have scheduled upcoming deployment, TDY, or training exercise dates that fall directly in the timeframe of a course are discouraged from taking the course. If the dates keep you out of the course for only a short while, you should contact your instructor before the start of the class to see what arrangements may be made to ensure you can complete the class successfully.

If you receive deployment, TDY, or training exercise dates that unexpectedly interfere with a course, you should contact the campus and your instructor immediately. If your orders prevent you from contacting the school before you leave, you should contact the campus and the instructor as soon as you can. Base education offices can assist you.

If, in such circumstances, you would like to complete the course from a distance, your instructor, in most cases, will make arrangements with you. If you do not complete the course by its end date or make prior arrangements with your instructor you may receive an "I" (incomplete) grade until you finish the course.