NC Gov Cooper: $1.8 Million in Finish Line Grants Funding to Community Colleges

Morehead City - Press Release NC Governor  Roy Cooper Finish Line Grants funding has been awarded to more than 30 community colleges across the state. 

Morehead City

Oct 23, 2018
For a fact sheet on the program, Here

In a visit to Carteret Community College today, Governor Roy Cooper announced the state has distributed more than $1.8 million in Finish Line Grants funding to community colleges across the state.

In July, Gov. Cooper announced the Finish Line Grants program to help community college students who face unforeseen financial emergencies to complete their training. The program uses $7 million in federal funds to help students pay for transportation, housing, medical needs, dependent care or other financial emergencies that students face through no fault of their own.

“Hurricane Florence was a huge blow to our state, causing unforeseen damages to families across the state, and the Finish Line Grants program is more important now than ever,” said Gov. Cooper. “This program will help students across the state and in hurricane affected areas finish their training and get a good paying job to support themselves and their families.”

Finish Line Grants funding has been awarded to more than 30 community colleges across the state. Funding is awarded after community colleges and workforce development boards jointly apply for funding. Community college students may receive a maximum of $1,000 per semester by contacting their community colleges’ financial aid office or their local NCWorks Career Center to apply.

“Finish Line Grants are enabling community college students to stay on track to finish their studies,” said Peter Hans, president of the North Carolina Community College System. “Many of our students are of modest means and often from first-generation college-going families. This support provides them the opportunity to overcome obstacles and pursue their dreams.”

“The new Finish Line Grants program is instrumental in helping a wider range of students get the support they need,” said Dr. John D. Hauser, president of Carteret Community College. “This program is a key element in building our workforce. Our commitment to develop and maintain a strong workforce helps attract companies to Carteret County. Recently, we have identified students who need financial help in order to complete their degrees. Especially after Hurricane Florence, the Finish Line Grants program is imperative in helping these students achieve their educational goals.”

So far, Finish Line Grants have been awarded to:

Alamance Community College
College of the Albemarle
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
Bladen Community College
Blue Ridge Community College
Beaufort Community College
Caldwell Community College
Carteret Community College
Catawba Valley Community College
Central Carolina Community College
Central Piedmont Community College
Coastal Carolina Community College
Craven Community College
Davidson County Community College
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Guilford Technical Community College
Haywood Community College
James Sprunt Community College
Johnston Community College
Lenoir Community College
Martin Community College
Mayland Community College
Pamlico Community College
Pitt Community College
Richmond Community College
Roanoke-Chowan Community College
Robeson Community College
Sampson Community College
Sandhills Community College
Southwestern Community College
Tri-County Community College
Wayne Community College
Wake Technical Community College
Western Piedmont Community College
Wilkes Community College
In his most recent budget, Gov. Cooper proposed $20 million for Finish Line Grants to be made available for four-year college and university students, in addition to community college students, but the General Assembly did not include it in the budget. The funding for this iteration of the program will come from the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

Contact Information
Ford Porter
govpress@nc.gov
919-814-2100