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Next NC Scholarship makes college more affordable

February 21, 2025 Posted by NC Lottery at 11:15 AM
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College application season may bring financial stress to your family if you have a high school senior or are thinking of getting a degree yourself. But what if there was a simple way to cover the cost of college?

You may be in luck! The new Next NC Scholarship takes the guesswork out of applying for financial aid. Most North Carolinians from households making $80,000 or less can automatically receive this scholarship when they complete their FAFSA.

North Carolinians who qualify can choose from any of the 58 community colleges across the state and earn their degree tuition-free. For any of the 16 public universities in the state, students can receive enough to pay for more than half, if not all, of tuition and fees.

Thanks to players like you, the lottery raised more than $34 million to help fund scholarships awarded based on financial need last year. Statewide, 66,789 scholarships were awarded, giving North Carolinians like Samuel and Angela the chance to chase their dreams of higher education.

This year, the new Next NC Scholarship will use lottery funds combined with state funds and the federal Pell Grant to provided financial aid that does not have to be paid back.

Recipients of the Next NC Scholarship are also eligible for the chance to win $2000 by participating in the lottery’s Moving NC Students Forward program. Tell us your story of how the scholarship has impacted you and your path to higher education. Enter now at MovingNCStudentsForward.com.


5 COMMENTS

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4/17/2025 10:18 - Duane C.

This is great

4/08/2025 12:58 - Brad N.

If people think the lottery is rigged...and then keep playing...maybe we need more education in the statistics of the odds of winning and random outcomes. Thanks NCEL for the help my daughter got for college. She's doing very well now.

3/18/2025 11:05 - John D.

FACTS BRIAN T.

2/23/2025 12:49 - Sheree P.

It has help me all to think about better my future even more for me and my two children

2/22/2025 04:44 - Brian T.

NCEL, do you and your cronies think charity rationalizes taking money from players when your false outcomes are predetermined? It makes our society worse.

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