Financial Aid and Scholarships

Financial Aid

How do you fund your degree here at UNC Asheville? First, familiarize yourself with the UNC Asheville Financial Aid website and the various programs and scholarships available to our students. UNC Asheville is consistently recognized as a “best buy” year after year. Apart from our stellar academics and nationally competitive, low tuition prices, we strive to provide financial assistance to help students remove the financial barriers in obtaining a higher education.

 

Scholarships

The Department of Education scholarship application for the 2024-25 Academic Year will open on Monday, February 5.

For the first time this year, we are reviewing applications through the Scholarship Portal, in an effort to reduce the number of applications you need to submit for scholarship consideration across the University.

We strongly encourage all students admitted to the teacher education program to apply for our scholarships. You can find instructions for accessing the Scholarship Portal and completing the scholarship application below.

The Department offers the following scholarships to licensure students:

  • Dr. Linda Winner Scholarship
  • J.W. and Rose Byers Scholarship
  • Don & Marjorie Locke Scholarship
  • Prather Family Endowed Teaching Scholarship
  • Martha Fletcher Game Scholarship
  • T.C. Roberson Scholarship
  • Catherine and Dennis Winner Endowed Scholarship
  • Wells Fargo Endowed Scholarship for Future Teachers
  • Milton and Juanita West Ready Scholarship
  • Sandra Byrd Endowed Scholarship
  • Pierce Teacher Licensure Annual Scholarship

The last day to submit your scholarship application is March 31, 2024.

Instructions to Access the Scholarship Portal

  1. Have your UNC Asheville username and password available.
  2. Log into OnePort at http://oneport.unca.edu.
  3. Navigate to the blue column on the left and click on “FINANCIAL AID & PAYMENTS.”
  4. Click on “Scholarship Portal.”
  5. An information box with a welcome message should appear on your screen. Make sure you are on the “Applicants and Administrators” tab, indicated just above the welcome message.
  6. Click the large blue button that reads “Sign in Using Your UNC Asheville Credentials.” You’ll then be directed through the application process.

Department of Education scholarships are awarded on an annual basis. Recipients interested in sustained funding for the next academic year must apply during each annual application cycle. 

Teach NC Exam Prep & Registration Fee Assistance

TEACH North Carolina (TeachNC) has teamed up with the North Carolina Governor’s Office, NCDPI, and Study.com to offer up to $500 in exam support!

Who is eligible:

  • All current enrollees in a North Carolina EPP that results in an initial teaching license (both undergraduates and post-bacs)
  • Current students who intend to be formally admitted into the EPP, but must first take and pass the Praxis Core
  • Current candidates who need to retake sections of the edTPA to earn a passing score in order to be recommended for licensure
  • Current North Carolina teachers who hold a residency, emergency or temporary license and need to pass the Praxis or Pearson exams, or edTPA, in order to remain in the classroom.
  • Any of the above listed population who already registered for their required exams on or after 7/1/22 and would like to be reimbursed for those costs

What you get:

  • Free access to a Study.com account to prepare for the Praxis exam of your choice
  • ETS voucher(s) to pay the Praxis Core registration fee, and/or
  • Fee reimbursements to cover the cost of any required North Carolina licensure exam or study materials.

Participants can choose to use ALL of the opportunities above or pick and choose which one you’d benefit most from.

The requirements- participants must:

  1. Create a TeachNC account.
  2. Select which supports you need and complete the accompanying (short) forms.
  3. If you request a Study.com account, fill out the short form to receive a questionnaire from Study.com with instructions on how to set up your account.
  4. If you request reimbursement for testing fees or other supplemental study materials, fill out the reimbursement form.
  5. Praxis Core exam vouchers will be sent to participants after you’ve submitted your request.

Don’t let your licensure exams hold you back from your teaching career! TeachNC will cover the costs! Sign up here to get up to $500 to help you prepare and pay for your exams. Don’t wait – funds are limited!

 

Teach NC Praxis Core Assistance

Teach NC is providing up to $100 in payback assistance for Praxis Core exam registration, for students who have not yet been formally admitted to the licensure program. To receive this exam assistance follow these steps:

Step 1: Sign up for a free Teach NC account. Be sure you do this step before submitting your Formal Admit application to the licensure program. 

Step 2: Submit your Formal Admit application and take a screenshot or picture for Teach NC.

Step 3: Request your payback for up to $100!

It’s okay if there is a bit of time between when you create your Teach NC account and when you submit your Formal Admit application– you’ll still be eligible. So make sure you sign up to secure your eligibility and then whenever you apply– submit for that reimbursement! More information can be found on Teach NC’s website.

Teachers Helping Teachers

The Department of Education offers Teachers Helping Teachers, made possible through a generous gift from Gene and Tommy Arnold. Dr. Arnold is a former UNC Asheville Department of Education professor and BCS educator. Her passion is helping the next generation of teachers get licensed at UNC Asheville by providing support for pre-service teachers to pay for licensing exams (Praxis I, Praxis II, Pearson Exams, etc.), or to meet other expenses related to gaining licensure. (Note: Teachers Helping Teachers funding is not available for edTPA.) You can apply for Teachers Helping Teachers financial assistance using this Google Form. 

 

External Opportunities

  • The College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) offers a list of scholarships for North Carolina students.
  • The ACS-Hach Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Scholarship is awarded to recent graduates with limited work experience and an interest in becoming secondary chemistry teachers. Recipients must be pursuing a Masters degree or becoming certified as a chemistry/science teacher. Scholarship recipients receive either up to $6,000 for full-time study or up to $3,000 for part-time study.
  • FLANC, the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina, offers the annual Jane Mitchell-Manolita Buck Scholarship, a $1,000 scholarship for world language teacher licensure students entering their final year of study.
  • The Forgivable Education Loans for Service (FELS) provides financial assistance to qualified students enrolled in an approved education program and committed to working in critical employment shortage professions in North Carolina. A borrower must complete their Approved Education Program, obtain licensure from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and teach in a Qualified Position in North Carolina. Eligible Qualified Positions include employment in a North Carolina public school or charter school, a school operated by the State of North Carolina, or a school operated by the federal government in North Carolina. Employment as an administrator, substitute teacher, or employment in a nonpublic school, community college, or institution of higher education is not eligible for Loan Forgiveness. Areas of teacher shortage include:  Biology, Chemistry, Comprehensive Science, ESL, Math, Middle Grades, Physics, and Special Education.
  • The US Department of Education offers Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) for qualifying employees.