By Andrea Poole

RALEIGH (July 24, 2024) – Most students in North Carolina rely on financial aid to make paying for college more manageable, and financial aid works best when families know about it early and can apply for it easily.

At the state level, we’ve taken important steps to make it easier for families to access millions of dollars in grants and scholarships. Unfortunately, that vital work has been undermined by the botched rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the federal form that determines the financial need of enrolling students.

Prolonged technical problems meant millions of families across the country had trouble accessing the form this year. We’re halfway through the summer, long past high school graduation season, and thousands of graduates left school without completing their FAFSA.

According to the National College Attainment Network, as of June, North Carolina had 13.2% fewer completed FAFSA forms than the same time last year. For first-generation and low-income students weighing difficult enrollment decisions, that uncertainty could be devastating to their college plans. 

College aid officials and high school counselors across our state are doing everything they can to reassure concerned families that financial aid will be there, and I echo that message. Aid funding is still available, and our universities and community colleges are still eager to serve all students, including low- and middle-income students. 

The Next NC Scholarship, launched this year, combines the federal Pell Grant and nearly $180 million in state funds into an easy-to-understand scholarship.

Most households with an annual income of $80,000 or less – that’s 55% of all North Carolina families – will qualify, making them eligible for at least $3,000 per year to cover all tuition and fees at NC Community Colleges or a minimum of $5,000 per year to cover tuition and fees at public universities. Most students who qualify will receive even more, based on financial need.

To apply for these funds, students only need to complete a FAFSA. 

In response to the FAFSA difficulties, we have extended the priority FAFSA filing date. Students attending a UNC or NCCCS institution have until August 15 to file their FAFSA to ensure access to the aid they qualify for.

For those considering a private college or university, the FAFSA is also the only application needed for North Carolina’s Need-Based Scholarship for Private Colleges, which distributes more than $91 million in aid and scholarships to attend private, nonprofit colleges in the state. 

The NC State Education Assistance Authority has also launched a summer FAFSA initiative along with our partners across education. We support more than 80 high school counselors and staff who have agreed to work over the summer to help students complete their FAFSAs at participating UNC institutions and community colleges. More online resources are available at cfnc.org. 

This work matters not just for individual students, but for the future of a fast-growing state that cares about fair access to education. We can’t let a Washington blunder create a North Carolina crisis.

---

Andrea Poole is the executive director of the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority.