Greensboro Reporter

Recent high school graduates in North Carolina can make a dent in their college credits at little cost to them, thanks to the Longleaf Commitment grant program that will send them to two years of community college for free.

Since the grant program is saving them from having to pay for the first two years of college, it also allows the students to focus on their studies.

“I’m really able to focus on schoolwork because I don’t have to do a part-time job,” Daniela Campbell, a student at Guilford Technical Community College, told Fox 8 News. "I get books covered with the grant. I get tuition covered with the grant. So it really has been a great flexible two years."

The program is bolstering enrollment at some of the state’s 58 community colleges, and it has the long-term goal of preparing young adults with a marketable skill that won’t leave them in debt up to their eyeballs. Most of the academic credits transfer to four-year schools, so the students can opt for a two-year degree at a community college or pursue a four-year degree. 

“What we want to be sure is that when you come to Durham Tech to complete a degree or credential diploma that you are positioning yourself to be in a livable-wage job,” Abraham Dones, vice president of student services at Durham Tech, told Fox 8 News. “That is something that is important to us as a college, because we recognize that when you invest in your higher education, there should be some benefit to that investment."

The grant is for the sum of $2,800, which covers tuition and fees at the community colleges. Some minor expenses might still be the responsibility of the student, but it's nothing compared with what two years at a four-year institution might cost.