NC College Connect is Here!

The NC College Connect program offers North Carolina public high school students with a weighted GPA of 2.8 and above who meet NC College Connect requirements direct admission to select colleges and universities participating in the NC College Connect program. 

Here you'll find resources to help spread the word about this program to students and families—and to understand the students’ process to accept their admission in case your students need help.

We are also hosting a series of webinars to answer questions in real-time—registration details are below.

Resources to Share With Students & Families

We recommend reviewing the Toolkit Guide to learn more about the assets provided, including recommendations for use.

English Resources

Full English Toolkit (.zip file): All toolkit assets in one easily downloadable .zip file.
Toolkit Guide: An overview of materials to help your institution or organization promote NC College Connect and recommendations for use.
Print-Ready Flyer: You can share this directly with students and parents as take-home materials or at school events.
PowerPoint Explainer: (coming soon) Include these slides in your next presentation to students or parents to give them an overview of NC College Connect.
Messaging & FAQ: Keep these message points and frequently asked questions handy for when you're talking about NC College Connect to your communities, networks, parents, or to students.
Social Media Graphics & Example Posts: Use these graphics and suggested language to share NC College Connect on social media.
Email Newsletter Language (Student-Facing) & Email Newsletter Language (General): Language to use in any internal or external newsletters to spread the word about NC College Connect.

Spanish Resources - Coming Soon!

Frequently Asked Questions

These FAQs are also included in the Messaging & FAQ asset in the toolkit for easy reference.

How are qualifying students determined?

At the end of the 2024-25 school year, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) reviewed transcripts of public high school juniors with a weighted GPA of 2.8 and above who meet the NC College Connect requirements.
- Meeting NC College Connect requirements means meeting course requirements and any additional criteria required by individual institutions, as well as responding to safety questions to show a student meets the institutions’ safety requirements.
In September 2025, DPI reviewed transcripts for any additional eligible students who may have made course changes, qualifying them for direct admission.
Some independent colleges and universities have additional requirements for a student to qualify for direct admission. This will be noted in each institution’s NC College Connect form.

How and when will students find out if they’re eligible for this program?

North Carolina public high school students with a weighted GPA of 2.8 and above who meet the NC College Connect requirements will receive an official letter to participate in the program by mail by the start of their senior year, which will include a QR code to guide them to more information on NCCollegeConnect.org.

Why should students consider NC College Connect instead of the traditional college application process?

Accepting admission through the NC College Connect program is designed to be simpler and faster than the traditional college application process.
Students eligible for the NC College Connect program are directly admitted to select colleges and universities participating in the program based on their weighted GPA and meeting NC College Connect requirements, bypassing the traditional application process.
There is no need for a student to submit a traditional application through Common App, CFNC.org, or the institution website for the institutions where they have accepted admission through the NC College Connect portal.

What are the NC College Connect requirements?

In addition to at least a weighted 2.8 GPA or above, students must also meet NC College Connect requirements. This includes meeting necessary NC College Connect course requirements and answering safety questions.
Some independent colleges and universities also have additional requirements, such as foreign language courses, for a student to qualify for direct admission. This will be noted in each institution’s NC College Connect form.

What are the necessary NC College Connect course requirements?
If a student meets the state graduation requirements, including a fourth-level mathematics course, the course requirements below are met.

Language
- Four course units in language, including: four units in English, emphasizing grammar, composition, and literature
Mathematics
- Four course units of mathematics, in any of the following combinations:
- algebra I and II, geometry, and one unit beyond algebra II
- algebra I and II, and two units beyond algebra II, or
- Integrated math I, II, and III, and one unit beyond integrated math III.
- The UNC System strongly encourages future students to take at least one mathematics course unit in the 12th grade.
Sciences
- Three course units in science, including:
- at least one unit in a life or biological science (for example, biology),
- at least one unit in physical sciences (for example, physical science, chemistry, physics), and
- at least one laboratory course.
Social Studies
- Two course units in social studies, including one unit in U.S. history. Students who do not have the unit in U.S. history may be admitted on the condition that that they pass at least three semester hours in that subject by the end of the sophomore year.
Additional Requirements
- Two additional academic courses from English, mathematics, science, social studies, world languages, or computer science. (Note: these courses should be selected in alignment with a student’s academic and career objectives.)
- Some independent colleges and universities have additional requirements for a student to qualify for direct admission. This will be noted in each institution’s NC College Connect form.

What are safety questions?

In efforts to maintain a safe learning community, North Carolina colleges and universities ask safety questions as a part of their application processes. These questions ask about any behavioral misconduct during high school and criminal activity.
Answering “yes” to the safety questions may not necessarily preclude a student from being admitted. However, failing to answer these questions or failing to respond completely, accurately, and truthfully, may be grounds to deny or withdraw a student’s admission or to dismiss a student after enrollment.

Will students be admitted to all the institutions participating in NC College Connect?

No. Students will be matched to a select list of participating NC College Connect colleges and universities based on their weighted GPA and meeting NC College Connect requirements.
While some students may be eligible for direct admission for all institutions, others will not.

Do students need to maintain their weighted GPA of 2.8 or above throughout their senior year?

Yes. Students are offered direct admission to select colleges and universities participating in the NC College Connect program based on their GPA at the close of their junior year. Students must maintain this admitted GPA throughout their senior year.
Should a student no longer meet the NC College Connect requirements or their admitted GPA drop below what it was at the close of their junior year, an institution can rescind their admission or require more information, such as test scores.

Where can a student find their admitted GPA?

Students can find their admitted GPA on Infinite Campus, in their NC-SIS portal or on their transcript, typically wherever their grades are posted. Students can also confirm their admitted GPA with their counselor.

How were the NC College Connect colleges and universities determined?

Colleges and universities participating in the NC College Connect program voluntarily agreed to be a part of the program based on their existing admissions criteria. Moving forward, additional colleges and universities may be included in the NC College Connect program.

Will students who do not meet the weighted 2.8 GPA requirement at the close of their junior year, but meet it their senior year, be considered for the program?

No. A student’s qualification for NC College Connect is determined based on their weighted GPA at the close of their junior year and enrollment in a fourth level math course by the start of their senior year.
Students who are not eligible for the NC College Connect program should visit CFNC.org to learn more about higher education options available and for additional support in planning, applying, and paying for college.

What if students are interested in colleges or universities that are not part of the program?

While students may qualify for direct admission for the colleges and universities that are a part of NC College Connect, students are encouraged to apply to any other college or university they would like to attend via CFNC.org, including other UNC System universities, North Carolina community colleges, and North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities based on their priorities and interests.

How is a student’s community college direct admission determined? What if a student wants to attend a different community college?

A student’s offered direct admission to NC community college is determined by the district or local education agency (LEA) where they attend. For school districts bordering two community colleges, students will be directly admitted to the community college that enrolls over 60% of that county’s population.
The application portal will not have the capability to admit a student to more than one NC community college, even though all NC community colleges are participating.
Students are encouraged to apply to as many NC community colleges in the state that interest them. NC community college applications are always free, and students are automatically admitted through the traditional application process.

Do students have to accept admission at just one institution, or can they accept multiple spots before committing to attend one institution?

Students can accept admission on the NC College Connect portal for each participating college or university they are interested in.
Students can accept admission at as many institutions as they’d like, just as any other student might apply the traditional way and be accepted to multiple institutions.
This step does not guarantee enrollment—students are completing the first step of the process and informing the colleges and universities that they’re interested in attending. The benefit of claiming their spot through NC College Connect is a much shorter process and avoiding the wait associated with applying and then waiting to be admitted.

Are the official enrollment deadlines the same for each college or university? Do the enrollment deadlines for NC College Connect align with the regular enrollment dates for each college or university?

Colleges and universities often have different enrollment deadlines. The deadlines for students to enroll at the NC College Connect institution of their choice are no different than the traditional deadlines for each college or university.
Students who are admitted via the NC College Connect program will need to confirm the enrollment dates of their college or university of choice and enroll by that date.

If a student did not qualify but is still interested in applying to college, what steps should they take?   

There are multiple opportunities for students to pursue higher education even if they do not qualify for direct admission through NC College Connect.   
- Students who are not eligible for the NC College Connect program should visit CFNC.org to learn more about higher education options available and for additional support in planning, applying, and paying for college.

What about qualifying students who are concerned about the cost of attending college?   

Students are encouraged to visit CFNC.org to explore additional avenues to pay for college, including completing the FAFSA to determine what federal, state and college-based financial aid they qualify for.
Some students may be eligible for The Next NC Scholarship, a program that helps most North Carolinians from households making $80,000 or less pursue higher education by fully covering tuition and fees at any community college or more than half, if not all, of tuition and fees to attend any public university in the state. Students can complete the FAFSA to apply.
Some students may be eligible for The NC Need-Based Scholarship, a state financial aid program for North Carolina residents attending the state’s independent, nonprofit colleges and universities. Students will be considered automatically for this scholarship upon completion of the FAFSA.
Students should also discuss their options with the financial aid office at the college or university of their choice to inform their college decisions.

Does this program eliminate students from scholarship opportunities?

No. Qualifying for the NC College Connect program does not impact any financial aid opportunities or eligibility for merit-based scholarships. Students are encouraged to explore merit-based scholarship deadlines for each campus, as well as other North Carolina financial aid opportunities, collected on CFNC.org here.

Will students have to complete their Residency Determination (RDS) when they accept their admission?

No. A student will not have to indicate or complete Residency Determination (RDS) when they submit their short NC College Connect forms. However, establishing in-state residency is an important step in the college-going process to help students save money on college expenses and should be completed at a later date.

Will counselors be notified of which high school seniors at their high school will be receiving a letter?

Yes. High schools will be given a list of eligible students that counselors can reference to support students whose offer letters may have been lost in the mail or misplaced. The list will be sent through the secure shell with Accountability and Testing. Counselors can also contact their district PIOs for more information on the program and who is eligible.

Where do I go to ask questions about the program?

Reach out to your local CFNC Outreach Coordinator, your Director of Student Services or the following email addresses:
- For High School-related Questions: [email protected]
- For UNC System Questions: [email protected]
- For NCCCS Questions: [email protected]
- For North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities Questions: [email protected]

Learn How Your Students Can Claim Their Spot!

Eligible students will receive an official letter in the mail by the start of their senior school year– and can see a full list of colleges and universities where they've met NC College Connect requirements on NCCollegeConnect.org.
Students should scan the QR code on their letter to visit NCCollegeConnect.org, where they can access the application portal.

On NCCollegeConnect.org, qualifying students will be directed to log into the NC College Connect portal using their existing CFNC.org account information, or they will be prompted to create a new account.
After logging in, students will see a complete list of institutions where they have been offered admission. They will have the option to complete a simple form to accept their admission for each college or university of their choice.

For North Carolina community colleges, the program will redirect to that institution’s traditional application, but students who already meet application requirements are already admitted and the application is easy to submit!

Student landing page

NC College Connect form example

If a student who doesn’t qualify for the NC College Connect program attempts to log in to the portal, they will be notified and encouraged to apply to colleges and universities via CFNC’s traditional application hub.
Once the student claims their spot with at least one participating college or university, students will be contacted by the colleges or universities they chose with more information on financial aid and enrollment next steps.