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College of Engineering

COE Program Enhancement Fee — Your Fee At Work

The COE Program Enhancement Fee went into effect at the start of the fall 2015 semester. Below are FAQS explaining the fee followed by a letter from the Dean introducing the fee in 2015.

What is the COE Program Enhancement Fee for engineering students?

The COE Program Enhancement Fee is a fee that pays for enhancements to the learning experience of undergraduate and graduate students in engineering and computer science. These enhancements include targeted student programs, student computing services, and new equipment and laboratories.

Please note that this is a fee and not a differential tuition. This means that the COE Program Enhancement Fee cannot be used to hire additional faculty, create additional course sections or other instructional items that are provided through state funding or tuition.

Why does the College of Engineering charge a program enhancement fee?

Our ability to provide our students with the highest quality engineering education depends on being able to develop, sustain and grow programs of excellence that enhance your educational experience and your marketability. Since technology is also changing so rapidly these days, our ability to provide relevant engineering education and prepare you for entering the workforce requires that equipment and laboratories keep pace with these advancing technologies.

And it’s not just at NC State. Practically every one of our peer public institutions with engineering programs charges a differential tuition or additional fee. So in 2015, the UNC Board of Governors approved the COE Program Enhancement Fee to ensure that we can keep up with our peers in terms of resources needed to provide the highest quality engineering education.

Who pays the COE Program Enhancement Fee?

All undergraduate and graduate students majoring in engineering and computer science.

What is the current cost of COE Program Enhancement Fee?

The enhancement fee is $1,500 for the academic year. There are no plans to increase the fee above $1,500 at this time.

How are my COE Program Enhancement Fee dollars invested?

All money raised through the COE Program Enhancement Fee is invested to enhance undergraduate and graduate education and research including:

How have current funds been invested?

2018-19 COE Program Enhancement Fee Expenditures are as follows:

  • 50% Targeted Student Programs
  • 11% Student Computing Services
  • 39% New Research Equipment and Laboratories

Letter from the Dean

May 26, 2015

Dear NC State Engineering Student,

It is my hope that your semester ended on a high note and that you have an enjoyable summer planned.

I am writing to you about a new policy that will go into effect for the fall 2015 semester. The Board of Trustees of NC State University and the Board of Governors of the UNC system have approved an increase in the engineering fee assessed on all engineering and computer science students at NC State. This fee, formerly called the engineering computer fee, will be used to help your College of Engineering continue to improve.

As you may be aware, state funding for public universities has been on the decline. This has made it difficult for the College to continue to provide students with the highest quality education and experience. This engineering enhancement fee, which many of our peer engineering colleges already have in place, will allow us to enhance and offer innovative education experiences to a greater number of our students. We will also invest in new and existing infrastructure and critical upgrades to laboratories and equipment to ensure we have state-of-the-art research facilities. These investments are critical to the undergraduate and graduate research experience and to the world-class faculty who mentor these students.

Our goal is to balance the need to keep the cost of attending NC State affordable with the rising costs of engineering and computer science education. Even with this increase in the engineering fee, we will still be providing a world-class engineering education at a very competitive cost.

I hope you continue to enjoy your summer experiences and look forward to seeing you in the fall.

Sincerely,

Louis A. Martin-Vega, Ph.D., P.E.
Dean