NC College Connect Makes College Entry Easier with Guaranteed Spots at Top Schools

This fall, a new path opens for North Carolina public high school seniors. Through NC College Connect, qualified students skip the usual application maze and head straight to college acceptance.

Students with a 2.8 weighted GPA or better get an automatic green light. At a press briefing attended by the WS Chronicle, Peter Hans, UNC System president, said, "NC College Connect represents a fundamental shift in how we approach college admissions in North Carolina."

The program pulled in 11 UNC schools and 29 private institutions, plus every community college in the state. The list spans from Elizabeth City State to Shaw University, with Bennett College, Fayetteville State, North Carolina Central, Johnson C. Smith, Livingstone College, and Saint Augustine's rounding out the group.

Money won't stand in the way. The Next NC Scholarship covers full tuition and fees at community colleges if families make $80,000 or less. Public universities get major cost cuts, too. Private school hopefuls can tap into the NC Need-Based Scholarship.

Want an even better deal? Pick Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, UNC at Pembroke, or Western Carolina. The NC Promise plan cuts tuition to just $500 per term at these schools.

College Application Week runs October 20-26, with most fees vanish during this time. Students can check their status and find more information on the NC College Connect site.