New scholarship available to NC residents with Thursday deadline

North Carolina residents can qualify for the state’s new Next NC Scholarship by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by Thursday.

The Next NC Scholarship combines the Federal Pell Grant and state need-based grants into one award of at least $3,000 per year to attend any community college or at least $5,000 per year to attend any UNC institution in the state, according to a press release.

After Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act in 2020, the U.S. Department of Education rolled out a new FAFSA this past academic year. But it was marred with delays and glitches that caused confusion and prevented schools from handing out financial aid packages.

Traditionally, May 1 marks college decision day — the deadline for students to commit to a higher education institution. With the delays, many schools pushed back their deadlines to allow students and parents more time to consider the cost of their degrees.

The median annual household income in North Carolina is $66,168, according to the latest federal census data. That means students and adults in more than half of all households in North Carolina  could fully qualify for the Next NC Scholarship.

“The new Next NC Scholarship means most students and adults from households making $80,000 or less will have their tuition and fees fully covered at any of the state’s Great 58 community colleges — and more than half, if not all, of the tuition and fees to attend any public university in the state,” Cecilia Holden, CEO and president of myFutureNC wrote in a press release.