UNC online program serving adult learners grows 54%

Project Kitty Hawk is serving 2,889 adult learners in online degree programs this fall, a 54% increase from last fall, according to the UNC system.  

The General Assembly created the program in 2021 to help more working adults earn college degrees and credentials. It launched its first degree offerings in October 2023. 

The system said 766 new students enrolled this fall. Since its launch, 4,385 students have started work toward a degree from the program.. There are now 25 degree programs offered across six universities. 

Winston-Salem State University and UNC Wilmington joined the program this fall. WSSU launched three programs, while UNC Wilmington launched two. 

North Carolina Central University, East Carolina University and Appalachian State University, the program’s original partners, each had more than 850 Project Kitty Hawk students this fall. ECU became the first partner to exceed 1,000 students, according to the system. 

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Project Kitty Hawk was initially funded with $97 million in federal COVID relief funds appropriated by the General Assembly. The program had spent $91.2 million as of January 2026, according to a March report to the General Assembly. As of January, fewer than 100 students had completed an online degree, but that number now stands at 249 students, according to UNC. 

The report said university partners had generated $24.8 million in tuition receipts as of January, and projected that figure would reach $35.2 million by the end of the 2025-26 fiscal year. 

The system said 75% of Project Kitty Hawk students work full time and more than 80% are North Carolina residents. The average student is 32 years old. 

The system also reported a 90% term-to-term retention rate among Project Kitty Hawk students.