The MPA program is committed to recruiting exceptional candidates from a wide range of backgrounds, regardless of income level. The program offers a variety of scholarships and research assistantships, and all students are automatically considered when they apply.

Tuition rates can be found below; please note that tuition rates and available scholarship funds vary depending on whether a student is enrolled in the on-campus or online format.

The cost of attending graduate school represents a significant investment in your future.

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0% of applicants are considered for program support

Tuition

  • Tuition for the oncampus format is based on residency classification and number of enrolled credits.
  • For the academic year ’24-’25, North Carolina residents have an estimated cost of tuition of $653.56 per credit with a semester max tuition of $5,882.04.  Non-residents have an estimated cost of tuition of $1,690.06 per credit with a semester max tuition of  $14,481.54 per semester.
  • Fee estimates for oncampus full-time students are $991.32 per semester.

**Tuition capped at 9.0 hours/full-time. Estimated as of 12/1/2023, pending approval from BOG/UNC System.

**Fees capped at 9.0 hours/full-time and are subject to change at the discretion of the university. Please reference the University Cashiers Graduate Programs webpage for current information. There is an additional student field fee of $200 when registering for PUBA 747 and PUBA 748.

Learn More About Residency Determination
Learn More About Graduate Tuition And Student Fees
Scholarships and Student Aid

  • All applicants are automatically considered for program scholarships; no further action is required in order to be considered for these opportunities. 
  • Scholarships are provided in varying amounts and go toward tuition reduction. They are made possible through generous contributions of alumni and friends of the MPA program. View a list of available scholarships for on-campus students. 
  • Assistantships are opportunities for students to work with MPA or School of Government faculty on research and other projects in a paid capacity. The number of assistantships varies annually depending on budgets, grants, and project availability. 
  • Program support offers will be provided at the time of admission, and nearly 100 percent of our incoming on-campus students receive some type of financial support. Amounts vary based on candidacy, previous experiences, potential for success, and academic merit, among other considerations. 

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Tuition
  • Tuition for the online format is based on residency classification and number of enrolled credits. 
  • For the academic year ’24-’25, North Carolina residents have an estimated cost of tuition and fees of $682.27 per credit with a semester max of $6,140.43.  Non-residents have an estimated cost of tuition and fees of $1,718.77 per credit with a semester max of  $15,468.93 per semester. 

**Tuition capped at 9.0 hours/full-time. Estimated as of 12/1/2023, pending approval from BOG/UNC System.

**Fees capped at 9.0 hours/full-time and are subject to change at the discretion of the university. Please reference the University Cashiers Graduate Programs webpage for current information. There is an additional student field fee of $200 when registering for PUBA 747 and PUBA 748.

Scholarships and Student Aid
  • All applicants are automatically considered for program scholarships if you apply by the priority deadline; no further action is required in order to be considered for these opportunities. 
  • Scholarships are provided in varying amounts and go toward tuition reduction. They are made possible through generous contributions of alumni and friends of the MPA program. Scholarship support is prioritized for out-of-state students who wish to pursue the UNC MPA online format. Scholarship amounts vary and are based on candidacy, previous experiences, potential for success, and academic merit, among other considerations. 

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Loans

Both online and on-campus students can apply for federal financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). The FAFSA should be completed annually for each academic year of enrollment. Please note that applicants will not be considered for financial aid until they are officially admitted into the program.

Loans are available on the student’s own initiative from the federally insured student loan program. Information is available from the UNC-Chapel Hill Office of Scholarships and Student Aid, 111 Pettigrew Hall, P.O. Box 1080, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, 919.962.8396, aidinfo@unc.edu.

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans provide additional funding for those students (U.S. citizens and permanent residents only) whose costs exceed the maximum direct loan eligibility of $20,500 per academic year. Students should exhaust their federal direct loan eligibility before pursuing a Direct Graduate PLUS Loan. The interest rate for Graduate PLUS loans is a fixed 7.9 percent.

Private Loans

Private loans provide additional funding for those students (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) whose costs exceed the maximum direct loan eligibility of $20,500 per academic year. Students usually exhaust their federal direct loan eligibility before pursuing a private education loan. The interest rate for private education loans is variable and is based on either the prime rate or LIBOR.