Nash Community College could be free for you

North Carolina has a new scholarship for students attending community college that would potentially make attending Nash Community College free.

The Next NC Scholarship takes federal and state dollars to offer up to $3,000 for eligible full-time community college students in a university transfer or Career and Technical Education program. (The scholarship is prorated for part-time students.) Full-time students can receive up to $5,000 if they are attending a public university in the state.

The $3,000 scholarship would cover full tuition and fees at NCC, making this a prime opportunity for new students to attend and for those who did not finish to come back and complete their education. The $5,000 scholarship does not cover the full cost to attend some universities in North Carolina.

This scholarship is not a loan and does not have to be paid back. Parents and guardians are encouraged to look into this unique opportunity and promote it to students who might not have committed to go to college if cost was a factor.

The Next NC Scholarship is available to North Carolina residents who make an adjusted gross income of $80,000 or less. The median household income in Nash County is around $55,000, meaning most who apply will be eligible.

From its Adult Learner Initiative, NCC identified there are more than 14,000 individuals (adult learners) in Nash County who have not attended or completed any further education outside of a high school diploma.

This scholarship provides the opportunity to attend community college at no cost to get the skills to get a job, get a better job or finally get that short-term training needed to move up the ladder in a career.

Applying is simple, and all students have to do is submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to apply for this scholarship. The FAFSA form can be accessed by visiting studentaid.gov.

College and student services professionals across the country strongly encourage FAFSA completion even if students think they wouldn’t qualify.

At NCC, student services staff are available to help. The college’s financial aid office can be reached at (252) 428-7328 or via email at nccfinancialaid@nashcc.edu for more information. Prospective students also can come in to the financial aid office from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday or from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday for in-person assistance.