Information for Graduating Seniors

Any student, regardless of income, who wants to be considered for federal, state, and school financial aid programs should complete the FAFSA. This includes grants, scholarships, work-study funds, and loans. For students who plan to attend college in the Fall or Spring of the 2025 - 2026, the FAFSA will be fully functional for application and submission on December 1, 2024. Prior to that time, students and parents/guardians may apply for an FSA ID, if they do not already have one*. Both the student and the parent/guardians (contributor) must have an FSA ID to sign and submit the FAFSA.

To create an FSA ID please visit the Student Aid website.

*Parents if you already have an FSAID that you used for yourself or another child, you do not need a new one.

Get money for college that you don’t have to pay back.

That’s right. The Next NC Scholarship is a financial aid program that helps most North Carolinians from households making $80,000 or less pursue higher education by fully covering tuition and fees at any community college or more than half, if not all, of tuition and fees to attend any public university in the state. The best part? It’s money that doesn’t have to be repaid.

How much money are we talking about?

Students attending any of the 58 community colleges would receive at least $3,000.

Students attending any of the 16 public university in North Carolina will get a minimum of $5,000.

Find out what funding you can expect using the Next NC Scholarship Calculator.

Students with the greatest need for financial aid could qualify for even more funding to help make paying for college more manageable.

NC College Connect

NC College Connect is a new program that provides a simpler way to apply to college.

The best part? If you’re a high school senior at a public high school with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above, you are eligible. Look out for a letter that will be mailed to you in October with details on how you can secure your spot at participating colleges and universities. Learn more at NC College Connect

Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, UNC- Asheville, UNC-Greensboro, UNC - Pembroke, Winston-Salem State University and North Carolina community colleges (all 58 colleges)

NCICU Launches Direct Admissions Program for Eligible High School Seniors

Twenty-seven North Carolina private colleges and universities are offering eligible students more immediate acceptance to their campuses for the 2025-2026 academic year. North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities (NCICU) proudly presents to North Carolina high school seniors and their families the NCICU Direct Admission Program. This groundbreaking initiative simplifies the college application process for North Carolina high school seniors with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or higher. In just five minutes, students can complete their application at www.ncicu.org without the worry of any application fees. Among the 36 NCICU campuses, 26 are part of this innovative program, offering eligible students the exciting opportunity to confirm their acceptance.

NORTH CAROLINA PRIVATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PARTICIPATING IN DIRECT ADMISSION:

Barton College	Meredith College ✤
Belmont Abbey College	Methodist University
Bennett College ✤ ✛	Montreat College
Catawba College	North Carolina Wesleyan University
Chowan University	Pfeiffer University
Gardner-Webb University	Saint Augustine’s University ✛
Greensboro College	Salem College ✤
Guilford College	Shaw University ✛
Johnson C. Smith University ✛	St. Andrews University
Lees-McRae College	University of Mount Olive
Lenoir-Rhyne University	Warren Wilson College
Livingstone College	William Peace University
Louisburg College ♦︎	Wingate University
Mars Hill University

✤ Admission Limited to Women
✛ Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), welcoming applicants of all races/ethnicities
♦︎ 2-year College

All NCICU colleges and universities also offer the traditional admissions process. Click here to learn more about them.

High School Student Services - Click to View