Hey all, UNC Chapel Hill is one of my top picks, but I'm wondering how their financial aid packages usually look. Anyone got insights on merit-based scholarships or grants? Been losing sleep over this.
UNC Chapel Hill has an established track record of offering strong financial aid to its students. They have a commitment to meeting 100% of demonstrated need, and this is fulfilled through a combination of work-study, loans, and grants. Notably, grants make up a significant part of the financial aid, which means that a large portion of the package doesn't have to be paid back.
The university's primary merit-based scholarship, the Morehead-Cain scholarship, is quite prestigious. This merit scholarship covers full tuition, student fees, housing, meals, books, a laptop, and even a Discovery Fund to be used for education-related expenses. However, it is highly competitive and typically awarded to the top 1-2% of applicants.
UNC Chapel Hill also participates in other merit-based award programs, such as the Carolina Covenant, which is aimed at low-income students and promises a debt-free graduation.
Despite this, it's vital that you use the school's Net Price Calculator (https://studentaid.unc.edu/net-price-calculator/) to get a better estimate of what your financial aid package might look like. This tool takes into account your family's financial situation to give you a more tailored estimate.
In summary, UNC Chapel Hill offers a strong financial aid program with both need-based and merit-based components. While getting one of the highly competitive scholarships might not be guaranteed, the overall affordability can still be pretty high depending on your situation due to their need-based aid.
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