Insider tips and strategies

NC PROMISE PROGRAM There will be 4 universities in the NC Promise Program in the fall of 2022: Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, UNC Pembroke, and Western Carolina University. At these schools, tuition is set at $1,000 per year for in-state residents and $5,000 for out-of-state residents.

There are no eligibility requirements; if you apply for undergraduate admission and are accepted, then you receive this benefit automaitcally!

The Mexican consulate can help students explore taking online courses from Mexican universities. These would be appropriate for students with strong Spanish language skills.

Many community colleges have agreements with UNC system schools – for example, Guilford Tech and UNCG have a co-admission program called “G-squared.” 

Take advantage of summer programs like CHANCE camp at UNCG, or JUNTOS at NCSU. These let you spend time on a college campus and learn about being a student.

Look for programs available to HS students like Crosby Scholars, Latino Achievers, or others. You can network with other Latinx students who want to go to college and get great advice.

Seek out advocacy organizations. Start with the websites for El Pueblo and AdelanteNC/Let’s Learn (listed in resources section) and maybe you will meet some other Latinx students in your area as a result!

NC Community Colleges have open door policies – undocumented immigrants can be admitted under these conditions. You must have attended and graduated with a diploma from a US high school (but not a GED. Students who have received DACA are no longer considered undocumented. However, individual community colleges do have discretion to decide about admitting DACA recipients.

Look for College Access Workshops and Fairs that are sponsored by Latinx-related organizations. Some examples are “Mi Exito, La Universidad” and “The Hispanic Educational Summit,” sponsored by the NC Society of Hispanic Professionals, and “Soy un Lider” at Guilford College.

Organize a spreadsheet to track which scholarships you plan to apply for, what the deadlines are, and what materials you will need. Keep it year to year, as you will need to reapply for many scholarships on an annual basis.

Research the business sponsorship option, which lets an employer pay tuition for community college for an employee of an NC business. The employer will be charged the in-state rate, no matter what the residency status of the student is. Employers must complete a W-9 form and a vendor form, and students must provide a pay stub. Employers can be a family business, even. (example: https://www.cccc.edu/businessoffice/payment/sponsorship.php )

There are several ways to earn college credits before you leave high school! Look into options like taking AP courses, attending an early college high school, taking a CLEP exam, or completing dual enrollment courses at the community college. This will help you save money later by reducing the number of college credits you need to pay for.

Continuing education courses at community colleges are just one flat rate, not in-state or out-of-state – these are short occupational certification programs.

NC Promise Program – starting in fall 2018, 3 universities (Elizabeth City State, UNC Pembroke, and Western Carolina University) will have dramatically decreased set tuition
rates – $500 per semester for in-state, $2500 for out of state. Tuition stays the same for 4 consecutive years, and also applies for transfer students. (There will still be fees, FYI.)

Some private universities have larger scholarship funds and can even cover out of state tuition for students with stellar grades.

Some college charge less for continuing education courses – one example is Guilford College’s evening enrollment program