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Financial Information

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fee rates are listed on the Cashier's Office Web site under Charges for Attendance.

The Office of Scholarships and Student Aid provides estimates on the cost of attendance (including tuition, books, room and board, etc.) for one year at UNC.  The rates are listed below:

In addition, students should consider the cost of the required laptop computer.
 

NC Residency

Residents of North Carolina may attend UNC at Chapel Hill at a significantly lower cost. Please refer to the Graduate School's Web site for North Carolina Residency for Tuition Purposes, which contains information about NC residency requirements and how to apply for resident status.
 

Financial Aid

Undergraduate students are eligible for various campus scholarship programs and other financial aid through the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid.  Please refer to the Cost and Financial Aid page for the BSIS program.

Prospective masters students should apply by December 11th to receive full consideration for financial aid.

Please note that financial aid support is much easier to obtain for our fall programs.

NEED-BASED AID 

Need-based assistance is handled by the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid. Application is made by completing the FAFSA form and requesting that financial information be sent to UNC at Chapel Hill. For questions regarding need-based aid, please consult OSSA directly.

MERIT-BASED AID

Most SILS financial aid and assistantships are given to students who begin their programs in summer or fall semesters; however, applicants should note that awards generally do not begin until the Fall semester. There is no separate application process for merit-based financial aid. 

Many SILS awards are of one-year duration; others are renewed for a second year, contingent upon academic and service performance. Second-year students have a number of opportunities to apply for part-time internships offered by area corporations, information agencies, or libraries.

Fellowships

Fellowships normally are awarded for one year only. Award recipients are responsible for applicable tuition and fees.

  • H. W. Wilson Fellowship
  • Margaret Ellen Kalp Fellowship
  • Burmeister Information Science Fellowship
  • Evelyn J. Bishop Tuition Fellowship
  • Michael Hooker Graduate Fellowship in Applied Networking
  • Kathleen McNiece Moore Fellowship in Children's Library Services
  • Special Fellowship for Library Work with Children and Young Adults
  • Beta Phi Mu Epsilon Chapter Scholarship Award
Service Awards
  • Carnegie Tuitional Fellowships. The fund provides tuition and fees for North Carolina residents enrolled in this program. Recipients are required to work five hours per week during each semester and summer term in which they receive this aid.
  • Faculty and Laboratory Assistantships. Funds are available for assistantships that support members of the SILS faculty in their research and teaching duties and support the services offered by the computing lab. These require 15-20 hours of service per week.
  • Grant-Funded Research Assistantships Many SILS professors are awarded grants that include funding for student research positions.  For a full list of available assistantships, please refer to our Research page.  For questions on specific grants, please contact the corresponding faculty member.
  • EPA Assistantships. A number of assistantships are available with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) library in Research Triangle Park. Students are eligible to apply for these assistantships after completing one full-time semester in the SILS program.  Initial appointments are for one year, with the possibility of renewal for an additional six months contingent upon performance in the assistantship and in SILS. Positions require 20 hours of service per week year-round.
  • Merit Assistantships. The Graduate School awards merit assistantships based on nominations from SILS. Assistantships include a stipend plus tuition for one year. Service responsibilities of 20 hours per week will be assigned.  Students awarded merit assistantships will assist with teaching or research activities, not to exceed 20 hours per week, within their department.
  • Residence Hall Staff Positions. Students with experience in residence hall living may apply for resident assistantships (RAs) and positions as assistant resident directors (ARDs). Check the UNC Housing site for further information and application forms.
External awards

External funding organizations have their own procedures and require a separate application. The School posts notices of award opportunities to bulletin boards and listservs.

UNC's Graduate Funding Information Center can help graduate students find fellowships and other funding opportunities.  Be sure to check out their Information and Library Science Funding Guide.

OTHER WORK OPPORTUNITIES

Numerous student assistant positions are available in on-campus and off-campus information agencies and libraries for students in SILS programs. Students must apply directly to the individual departments or organizations for these positions. The School receives notices of part-time job and internship opportunities and makes this information available to students via the SILS listservs and bulletin boards.