College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC)

Educators, it can be hard to keep track of all the FAFSA details for yourself, let alone to remind your students and their families. Here’s one tip you can use now: Encourage your students to use their winter break to do their FAFSA form! Because some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, your students might be missing out on funding if they wait until the spring. Early submission of the 2025–26 FAFSA helps students maximize financial aid opportunities, including grants, scholarships, and North Carolina’s Next NC Scholarship. Check out EducationNC's recent article for a guide to this year's FAFSA: https://bit.ly/41LaHNj

Winter break is a great opportunity for students to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and maximize their financial aid opportunities. The earlier they submit it, the more financial aid they may be eligible for. Remind your students that aid is first-come, first-served, and some scholarships have early deadlines, so the earlier they submit the better: https://bit.ly/2ZIazgK

Missed our December Virtual Coffee Break session? No worries! Watch the recording to discover all about the Forgivable Education Loans for Service program, offering financial assistance to qualified students who are working to fill critical NC workforce gaps. Access the recording here: https://bit.ly/4fo2Nge

If Hurricane Helene impacted your students, extra financial aid may be available to help with unexpected costs through the Next NC Scholarship. Eligible students will receive an average of $850 in additional support, including those at Appalachian State, UNC Asheville, and Western Carolina. Other impacted students attending UNC universities will receive support, too. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3OQmgLN

The Next NC Scholarship is back again - and your students need to know! Let's refresh your memory. It provides at least $3,000 for NC community college students and $5,000 for public university students (per year!) to cover tuition and fees—and that's money that doesn’t need to be repaid. Encourage your students to check their eligibility here, and submit their FAFSA to apply. https://bit.ly/47PBpnn

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now open for the class of 2025 (or, anyone thinking about college for 2025-26)! Encourage students to create their StudentAid.gov account, gather their documents, and understand their dependency status. Here's a list of tips to help you, your students, and their parents start off on the right foot this FAFSA season. https://bit.ly/41pfW5l

We're making students aware of all their financial options - including forgivable loans. Join our Virtual Coffee Break on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 9 a.m. to learn about the Forgivable Education Loans for Service program, which provides financial assistance to qualified students enrolled in education pathways that fill critical workforce gaps in NC. Register here: https://bit.ly/4fExTkV

We’re here to support you as you guide students from diverse backgrounds. Join us on Thursday, Dec. 12, at 11 a.m. for an essential discussion on navigating RDS, FAFSA, and financial aid for students and families navigating immigration topics. Register now: https://bit.ly/3BcSMo5

Attention educators! The FAFSA opens in just two days, and it’s essential to make sure students and parents can access their StudentAid.gov accounts ahead of time to ensure a smooth form submission process. It's not too late to create accounts - remind students and parents to get started here: https://bit.ly/2ZIazgK

🎉College Application Week 2024 – what a success!🎉 We’re still celebrating the incredible efforts of students, families, and educators across North Carolina that resulted in 15% more applications submitted than last year. This year brought new challenges, but the dedication and resilience of our communities is truly inspiring. A huge THANK YOU to: 📚 Our incredible partners 🏫 Educators and schools across NC 🤝 Our amazing NC institutions Your hard work made this week a success, helping students take big steps toward their futures. Stay tuned for what’s next, and congrats to everyone who helped make College Application Week 2024 bigger and better than ever!