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Governor Cooper announces $1.8 Million in Finish Line Grants funding awarded to community colleges

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The following is a press release from the office of Governor Roy Cooper

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 gut punch 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).