National trends for the 'Some College, No Credential' population

According to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, there are nearly 1.2 million people in North Carolina that attended college but stopped out before completing their degrees — known as “Some College, No Credential” students (SCNCs). The number of SCNCs under 65 in North Carolina increased by about 15,000 since 2024 — about a 1.5% increase. Meanwhile, the increase was 2.2% across the United States.

Robeson Community College (RCC) hosted the Finish FAFSA Frenzy Finale on May 1 at the RCC Main Campus Student Center. The event welcomed high school seniors from across the county, providing them with the opportunity to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms while also enjoying fun and engaging activities.

Attendees enjoyed rock climbing, games, and participated in exciting raffles for laptops and other door prizes. One of the highlights of the day was a freestyle competition, where students showed off their talents for a chance to win gift cards worth up to $300. Prizes were awarded to the top three performers, adding a fun and competitive element to the event.

Some school districts in North Carolina have decided that their best future teacher candidates may already be in the area — just still in high school.

These districts have begun their own iterations of teacher cadet programs, where high school students take introductory education courses and are placed with experienced teachers who train and mentor them. These initiatives, which fall into the category of “grow-your-own” programs, provide students with guidance, and sometimes financial support, as they pursue postsecondary degrees. The goal is to keep students connected with the communities they hail from so that they return as licensed educators after graduation.

The governor’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships held its fourth meeting on June 12 in Raleigh, voting to finalize 11 goals meant to help grow and prepare North Carolina’s workforce development efforts over the next four years. Formed by Gov. Josh Stein in March, the council is tasked with identifying workforce needs and amplifying strategies that help North Carolinians access the education and training needed for high-wage, high-demand and high-growth careers.

Also passed through the committee was the Senate Bill 133 House PCS, which would allow NCCCS to solicit a Learning Management System (LMS) for all community colleges. Currently, community colleges across the system can each select their own LMS.

And on Thursday, a PCS for House Bill 378, which combined many previously filed bills into one that would require community colleges to report the grades of minor students to their parents, passed the committee.

Now that the House and Senate have both released their budget proposals, the two chambers must work together to try to pass a compromise budget in time for the new fiscal year that begins on July 1. They do this through what’s called a conference committee, and the legislature recently released the list of representatives who will be serving on this committee.

SNAP | Proposals to shift up to 25% of SNAP food benefit costs to the states would force North Carolina to come up with $700 million annually to make up the difference or cut vital nutrition services, according to a press release.

Perspective | Blue Ridge Community College President Dr. Laura Leatherwood shares how well-designed facilities can do more than just house programs. “In order to supply the workforce for North Carolina’s agriculture and agribusiness industry — an industry that made an $111.1 billion impact in 2024 — we must offer robust and up-to-date horticulture programs. This requires facilities that reflect modern production and research practices. However, it is also important that any new facilities create learning opportunities across disciplines,” Leatherwood writes.

Weather-related news and stories | “More than six months after Hurricane Helene destroyed much of the town,” says Kathryn Locane, a 20-year resident, “We don’t have a grocery store. We don’t have a bank or even an ATM. We don’t have a hardware store. And we don’t have our post office. Those are all basic services. If you don’t have those, it really takes a toll on your mental health.” Read how one Appalachian town is working to rebuild its post office after Helene.

The United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration will allocate $3.2 million to help rebuild North Carolina’s seventh congressional district. A potential tropical cyclone hit the southeastern part of the state on Sept. 16, 2024. Multiple roads and highways were severely flooded which caused roads to wash out or collapse.

Business and industry | JetZero will invest $4.7 billion for a production facility at the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro. The company plans to create over 14,500 jobs, which is the largest jobs announcement in state history, according to a press release from NCCCS. The system will partner with the company to lead workforce training programs.

Apprenticeships | ApprenticeshipNC’s June newsletter is now available.

Campus news | Forsyth Technical Community College will join Vance-Granville Community College as the two N.C. community colleges in the Aspen Institute’s first Presidents & Trustees Collaborative cohort. The year-long Collaborative focuses on “governance reform that sustains student-focused change and strengthens the capacity of boards to guide their institutions through ongoing transformation,” according to a recent press release.

Central Carolina Community College hosted N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall on June 4. Marshall learned about the “collaborative efforts supporting small business development in the region,” according to a college press release.