Tuition Waiver

The North Carolina General Assembly and the State Board have promulgated statutes and administrative regulations dealing with authorized groups of students with respect to tuition and registration fee waivers. For information concerning tuition and registration waivers, see N.C.G.S. §§ 115B-1, 115D-5, 1E SBCCC 800.2 and the North Carolina Community Colleges Tuition and Registration Fee Waiver Reference Guide.

To obtain a tuition and registration fee waiver, individuals must establish proof of eligibility as a member of an authorized group. To be eligible for a tuition or registration fee waiver, trainees enrolled in Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) courses must obtain a letter of sponsorship from a state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency prior to enrollment and uphold the terms of the sponsorship until completion of the BLET course. The College must maintain documentation of the sponsorship on file. The College shall not grant tuition and registration fee waivers to students enrolled in self-supporting courses. The College shall charge the student the self-supporting fee or use institutional funds to pay for the self-supporting fee on the student’s behalf.

Annually, the President shall report to the State Board the amount of tuition and registration fees waived by the College on behalf of individuals who are members of authorized groups.

Currently enrolled North Carolina high school students who meet the eligibility criteria for their chosen Career and College Promise pathway may enroll in select Career and College Promise courses, Innovative High School, or Early College High School tuition free.

Students enrolled in high school equivalency classes or other pre-college coursework (Adult High School, ESL, Life Skills, Work Skills Academy, etc.) do not pay tuition for those programs. However, students who take a high school equivalency test will pay a fee to the test provider (GED® or HiSET®).

Basic Law Enforcement Training students are exempt from tuition for CJC 100 if they meet requirements set forth in the State Board of Community Colleges Code. However, they are required to purchase student accident insurance and pay an ammunition fee.

Sworn law enforcement officers, and active members of fire departments or EMS agencies may receive tuition waivers in approved courses.

Senior Citizens (individuals over 65 years of age) may audit a course without payment of tuition. The individual must provide proof of age through a driver's license, state identification card, or other government-issued document. Self-supporting fees and/or applicable local fees cannot be waived.

All tuition exemptions are subject to change pending any changes made by the North Carolina General Assembly each year.

Up one level

Payment of Tuition, Fees and Expenses