State Education Assistance Authority State Update State Education Assistance Authority Elizabeth McDuffie Wrightsville Beach April 10, 2019

Today’s Topics Organizational Transitions FAFSA Volume Update State of Aid in NC Outreach State Loan Program Current Legislative Update Red because I need to edit once done.

Organization Changes Transitions at College Foundation: Mary Lane Coalson –retired April Query –Regional and Community Services Manager Brittany Privott – Regional Representative for area code 910

FAFSA Volume Trend 2016 2017 2018 2016 Updated per Traci 4/1/2019.

Total FAFSAs file by Dependency Status

NC State Grants – Undergraduates 2000-01 to 2018-19 (est)

Average Debt at Graduation 2012 2015 2017 2 Year Change 5 Year Change North Carolina 23,893 25,645 26,526 3% 11% % With Debt 59% 61% 57% United States 29,400 30,100 28,650 -5% -3% 71% 68% 65% NC Average Debt -19% -15% -7% Compared to US Average But I do not want to minimize the importance of a couple of ideas Encourage savings to reduce borrowing Use the “Smart Borrower Calculator” on CFNC to help students understand debt and repayment Source: Project on Student Debt

New Programs Status Tuition Grants for NCSSM Graduates Enroll at a UNC institution Available for first year of study only Grant reduced if total aid exceeds COA Teaching Fellows Similar number of applications as last year (over 200) Same number of semi-finalists – 150 Offers made to 133 students for 2019-20

Outreach 2019 Summer—Three seminars for school counselors focused on creating a college-going culture in their schools Fall Counselor Training Workshops —October Countdown to College (College Application Month) October 2019 Focus on completing FAFSA, Residency and Admissions applications College Application Week ‒ Oct. 21−25, 2019

FINISH the FAFSA! SEAA-led initiative with CFI to provide information to high school counselors about the FAFSA status of their seniors Via CFNC, counselors can monitor if high school seniors have completed the FAFSA and remind non-completers 368 high schools participating representing more than 71,000 high school seniors As of end of March, 48% FAFSA completion rate at FtF high schools v 42% at non-participating high schools

NC Assist Loans Interest rates same as last year 5.5% for parents 6.5% for students Good credit score required Maximum annual loan amount Cost of Attendance minus other aid Aggregate maximum = $120,000

Financial Aid Study Group NCCCS and UNC group reviewed state grant programs Recommendations forthcoming Combine UNC Need-based and NCCCS Grants under one program name Underlying appropriations to sectors would not change Transition the UNC program to a more transparent program akin to CC grant that uses EFC to determine grants Summer grant program Bonus program for 30 hours in a year

Governor’s Budget Senate Bill 452 House Bill 588

NC GROW (Getting Ready for Opportunities in the Workforce) Scholarships Covers tuition for qualifying students in certain fields including, architecture and construction, health sciences, IT, electrical line worker, manufacturing programs NC resident, unmet need for tuition/fees after state and federal aid applied Administered by SEAA

NC GROW Financial Aid for Students Seeking Industry Credentials Administered by NCCCS State Board determines eligible programs of study Architecture and construction, health sciences, IT, electrical line worker, manufacturing programs and other Eligible short-term programs to be identified

Finish Line Grants Grants of up to $1,000/year for financial emergencies that threaten student’s ability to remain enrolled to complete their program of study State Board of CC, UNC Board of Governors, NC Independent Colleges and Universities shall administer the program and allocate resources for their respective sectors

Summer Scholarships for Student Success State Board of CC and UNC Board of Governors to work with SEAA to develop program guidelines and determine the allocation of funds for their systems SEAA to disburse to institutions Program requirements: Grants of up to $1,000 for summer enrollment NC residents with min. GPA of 2.0 Grants targeted to accelerate their path to timely completion or to remain on track

Other Initiatives Teaching Fellows Program Remove limitation of fields of study Remove limitation of institutions Expand eligibility for the NC Need- based Scholarship (NBS) to dependents of veterans or active duty members living in NC

Legislative Initiatives Teaching Fellows Program NCSSM Tuition Grant Extend Grant Eligibility to Prisoners High Achieving Tuition Scholarships NC HOPE Tuition Program Extend In-State Tuition Eligibility Other

Teaching Fellows Program Ideas in proposed legislation Expand the number of colleges participating in TF Add world languages to the eligible fields Include students enrolled in cc’s for their first two years of college with plans to transfer and study education Bills include: H236, H408, S400, S383

NC School of Science and Mathematics Tuition Grant Two bills Expand funding from one year to four years of eligibility Tuition grant and other aid cannot exceed COA One bill includes students attending NC institutions who participate in NBS; the other bill restricts eligibility to UNC institutions Grant at a private institution would be restricted to the highest award for a student attending a UNC

Extending Grant Eligibility to Prisoners UNC Need-Based Grants and NC Community College Grants Extends eligibility to students enrolled in state prisons and local jails Effective for 2020-2021 No new funds provided

High Achieving Tuition Scholarship Goals Encourage higher-performing students to attend community colleges Utilize State’s educational resources to the fullest Create more educational and career options Realize significant costs-savings to the State Develop a more competitive workforce Eligibility HS graduates with at least an unweighted 3.5 GPA in semester prior to enrolling at community college No felony drug conviction Award Must complete FAFSA—award is reduced by other state and federal sources Admission deferred if also accepted to a UNC Effective fall semester 2020

NC HOPE Tuition Waiver Waive the cost of tuition for up to two years for students who Graduate from a cooperative innovative high school Earn at least an associate degree prior to graduation from high school and Meet enrollment requirements at ECSU, UNCP, or WCU Purpose: Further assist eligible students and encourage attendance at the three NC Promise campuses Waiver to be reduced is other grants/scholarships received if grant aid would exceed COA.

Extend In-State Tuition Benefits Proposals to extend tuition benefits to: Students living in neighboring counties along border of another state Dependents of certain military DACA students Navy members who served on the USS North Carolina SSN 777

Other—Summer Funding Proposed program: NC College Completes Scholarship (NCCCS?) Summer aid with priority to students who have need and need courses to attain 30 credits or stay on track Allocation: $7m to UNCs $3m to CCs

One-time scholarship for transfers with associate degrees $1,000 to students who earn an associates degree prior to transferring from a NC community college to a UNC Degree must be covered by an articulation agreement Transfer must occur within 12 months of earning the degree $4 million proposed Effective for 2019-20 year……

Legislative Outcomes? Stayed tuned…..

Questions?

Spring Conference April 7 – 10, 2019