NC College Connect expands direct admission to every graduating public school senior
More than 105,000 seniors will receive at least one college admission offer under the statewide program, while students meeting academic requirements may receive offers from dozens of four-year institutions.
Every North Carolina public school senior on track to graduate will receive direct admission to at least one participating college under an expansion of the state’s NC College Connect program.
The N.C. Department of Public Instruction announced Tuesday that 105,036 seniors have been offered admission for fall 2027. The program includes more than 90 community colleges, University of North Carolina System institutions and independent colleges and universities.
Every eligible senior is admitted to the student’s local community college, regardless of grade-point average. DPI said that group includes 37,429 students who did not meet the academic requirements for four-year admission offers.
Another 67,607 seniors, or 64% of the total, received offers from at least 30 four-year institutions in addition to their local community college. Students with the strongest academic records could receive offers from as many as 41 institutions.
Participating four-year colleges generally require students to have a weighted GPA of at least 2.8 and to be enrolled in a fourth-level mathematics course. Students do not have to submit an application, essay, test score or recommendation letter to receive the initial offers.
The expansion marks a substantial increase from the program’s second year, when approximately 62% of seniors were eligible and more than 70,000 students received offers. DPI said more than 95% of current 12th-grade students in North Carolina public schools are receiving an offer this year.
State Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green said the program supports the state education system’s goal of preparing students for college, employment or other opportunities after graduation.
Direct admission does not eliminate all remaining college enrollment requirements. Students must still graduate, accept an offer and complete any additional steps required by the institution. Families also remain responsible for addressing tuition, financial aid, housing and other enrollment costs.
NC College Connect is a joint effort involving DPI, the UNC System, the North Carolina Community College System and North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities.
Editor’s note:
This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.
