Academic Policies

To remain in good academic standing, a student must maintain:

• a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 and,
• a semester ratio of earned-to-attempted credit hours of at least two-thirds (67%).

Students are placed on Academic Notice if their semester GPA falls below 2.0 or their completion rate is below 67%. This appears on the transcript as “Good Standing-On Notice.” Students on Academic Notice must complete the Academic Success Program the following semester (excluding summer).

A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 is placed on Academic Warning, noted on the permanent academic record. Students must complete the Academic Success Program the following semester.

A student on academic warning whose cumulative GPA remains below 2.0 at the next evaluation is suspended from the University, unless the student’s GPA for that semester is at least 2.3, in which case the student remains on warning. The suspension period is one full semester and a readmission application is required to return. Students have the option to appeal their suspension, and information regarding the appeal process is included in the Academic Suspension notification email. Academic suspension is noted on the student’s permanent academic record and transcript. Students returning from Academic Suspension will automatically be placed on Academic Notice for at least their first term.

Exception for Summer Enrollment

Students who are on academic suspension after the Spring semester are permitted to enroll in Summer classes, but they are not allowed to enroll in the following Fall semester unless they appeal and are approved to continue.

Suspension Appeals

If you believe that uncontrollable extenuating circumstances contributed to your Suspension, you may appeal to the Enrollment Services Committee to be allowed to continue attending UNC Asheville. Your standing notification email will contain the information on how to appeal.

Students who complete a minimum full-time load of 12 semester hours, have no grade lower than a C, have no Incomplete or IP grades, and earn a semester GPA of at least 3.5.

Awarded at graduation based on cumulative GPA for courses completed at UNC Asheville. Students must earn at least 60 semester hours at UNCA to be eligible.

• Cum Laude — cumulative GPA of at least 3.60
• Magna Cum Laude — cumulative GPA of at least 3.75
• Summa Cum Laude — cumulative GPA of at least 3.90

View full honors policies in the University Catalog

Students who need to exit before classes start or during the first week should submit the Enrollment Notification Form. No ‘W’ grade will appear on the transcript. A readmission application is required to return.

After drop/add week, a withdrawal results in a ‘W’ grade on the transcript. While it does not impact GPA, it may affect Academic Standing or financial aid eligibility.

Students may withdraw from a maximum of 16 hours during their entire time at UNCA. During fall or spring, the deadline is the end of the 9th week. For Term I or Term II courses, the deadline is the end of the 4th week. See the academic calendar for specific deadlines.

For students who encounter an unforeseen extraordinary situation — serious illness, injury, or significant personal circumstance — that prevents them from continuing. Hardship withdrawals do not count toward the 16-hour limit. Petitions will not be considered if submitted more than one calendar year after the initial grade was earned.

Students who live on campus and drop below 12 credit hours must complete the Under 12 Hour Agreement Form. Contact the Dean of Students Office at dos@unca.edu with questions.

Students may repeat a course in which they earned a grade lower than a C (C-, D+, D, F, or U). All attempts remain on the transcript and all attempted hours count — but students earn credit hours for only one successful attempt.

The state of North Carolina substantially subsidizes the cost of tuition for all students whose domicile, or permanent legal residence, is in North Carolina. Since it first became a state, North Carolina has abided by the philosophy that an educated public is necessary to a democratic government and that the State, therefore, has an obligation to provide for the education of its people. Article IX, Section 9, of the State Constitution states “The General Assembly shall provide that the benefits of the University of North Carolina and other public institutions of higher education, as far as practicable, be extended to the people of the State free of expense”. Therefore, while North Carolina welcomes out-of-state students it considers the privilege of providing a reduced in-state tuition rate to be a taxpayer benefit. Among other benefits provided only to students who meet the domiciliary requirements is eligibility for consideration for State-sponsored programs of student financial aid to help pay for college expenses. The same rules that govern residency determination for in-state tuition also apply to the residency status for State aid programs at both public institutions and independent colleges and universities.

In 2013, the NC General Assembly directed the UNC System, the NC Community College System, the NC State Education Assistance Authority (SEAA) and the NC Independent Colleges and Universities to create a centralized, uniform process for determining residency for in-state tuition and eligibility for state grants. This centralized process is known as the Residency Determination Service (RDS). All students seeking classification as an in-state resident for tuition purposes and/or state grant eligibility, MUST request a residency determination from RDS.  Students receive ONE residency determination which can be shared with all schools to which the student applies. To learn more about residency and complete a determination go to www.NCresidency.org.

The purpose and mission of RDS is to provide leadership and administration of residency determinations in accordance with North Carolina residency laws and applicable federal statutes. The RDS goal is to provide students access to transparent information and the opportunity to claim NC residency in a simple, accurate and straight forward manner. For more information, contact RDS at:

www.NCresidency.org
844-319-3640 (phone)
919-835-2427 (fax)

rdsinfo@ncresidency.org (email)

Applicants may complete the RDS process before, during, or after completing the admissions application. You will only have to complete the process once, no matter how many NC college or university admissions applications you complete. You will complete an online interview and may be asked to provide documentation afterward.  Required information will include identification numbers for you and/or your parents, such as you might provide for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It is a good idea to have this kind of information easily available at the time you complete the RDS interview. If you do not, RDS will save any confirmed information and allow you to re-enter the interview process where you left off.

The specific requirements for establishing residency for tuition classification and State financial aid purposes are prescribed by state law. A North Carolina resident for tuition purposes (and for State financial aid consideration) is a person, or a dependent person (dependent according to IRS tax code – not the FAFSA definition of dependency), whose parent or legal guardian has established and maintained legal residence in North Carolina for at least 12 months. Residence in North Carolina must be legitimate and be a permanent situation rather than just for the purpose of maintaining a residence prior to enrollment at an institution of higher education.

Under North Carolina law, to qualify for in-state residency, you must show that:

• You have established your legal residence (domicile) in North Carolina
• You have maintained that domicile for at least twelve (12) consecutive months before the beginning of the term
• You have a residentiary presence in the state
• You intend to make North Carolina your permanent home indefinitely (rather than being in North Carolina solely to attend college)

Persons not meeting the 12-month legal residence requirement may be classified as North Carolina residents for tuition purposes only if they fall within one of the limited categories authorized by the North Carolina Legislature. All other persons are ineligible for classification as a North Carolina “resident for tuition purposes” and will be charged out-of-state tuition and not given consideration for State financial aid. To learn more about residency and complete a determination go to www.NCresidency.org.

Because it is difficult to determine a person’s intent to make North Carolina his or her home, RDS must evaluate actions taken by the person that may indicate a “domiciliary intent.”  RDS considers the following factors, which may be significant, in determining this intent:

• Do you live in your parent’s home?
• Where were, or are, you permanently employed?
• Where are you registered to vote?
• What are your sources of financial support?
• Where have you registered your vehicle?
• Which state issued your current driver’s license or state I.D. card?
• Where do you own a home or other real estate that serves as your primary residence?
• Where did you file state income tax returns?
• Where did you last attend high school?

No single factor or combination of these factors may be considered conclusive evidence of domicile. Moreover, because domicile is defined as a true, fixed and permanent home, individuals who are present in North Carolina on a temporary basis, e.g., for the purpose of completing a degree, cannot establish domicile merely by taking these actions. To learn more about residency and complete a determination go to www.NCresidency.org.

Students who have been determined as nonresidents, or who have experienced a change in facts or circumstances that may impact their current determination, may request a reconsideration for tuition purposes through RDS. Your presence in NC as an enrolled student does not guarantee that you will be able to gain residency for tuition purposes. To request reconsideration go to www.NCresidency.org and login to your account.

Residency changes that occur after the 45th day of the semester will be effective for the following semester.

Students who have been determined as nonresidents by RDS may request a reconsideration and appeal of their determination for tuition purposes through RDS. To request a reconsideration or appeal, go to www.NCresidency.org and login to your account.

Residency changes that occur after the 45th day of the semester will be effective for the following semester.

Seniors 65 years of age or older, are a North Carolina resident as defined by the institution, and meet applicable admission standards are eligible to audit on a tuition-free basis. Senior auditors are required to provide documentation to prove eligibility (proof of age and NC residence) through a driver’s license, state id card, or other government-issued document at the time of application.

Audit registration for seniors is on a seat availability only and will be processed starting the same date as non-degree student registration. Applications will not be accepted after the drop/add period.

Auditing of courses under this policy is permitted only in lecture-based courses and not in courses that require laboratories, studios, or performances. Studio courses include Art and New Media. Auditing is not permitted in online distance education courses, independent studies courses, internships, special topics, or other special courses as outlined in institutional policies.

Senior auditors must comply with all current course audit policies. Senior auditors are held to the same performance standards set by the institution and instructor for similarly classified students, including meeting course prerequisites and other applicable course restrictions. Senior auditors are expected to comply with the institution’s academic and student conduct policies. Failure to adhere to these policies may lead to dismissal from the audited course(s) or other sanctions, including prohibition from campus.

Senior auditors are not charged application fees or tuition. Fees associated with parking, books, and specific course fees remain the responsibility of the student. Some student services, such as use of the student recreation center, could be limited or require an additional cost.