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NC College Connect offers automatic college admission to eligible high school seniors

Feature Community Colleges K-12
2024 Graduation. Courtesy of Burke County Public Schools

Eligible high school seniors in North Carolina are now automatically admitted to select colleges and universities across the state through NC College Connect, a program that offers a simpler and faster way to be admitted to college in North Carolina. 

Through the program, seniors enrolled at a North Carolina district or charter public school during the 2025-26 school year with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above, and who meet the NC College Connect requirements, are directly admitted to select North Carolina colleges and universities. 

NC College Connect requires students to complete certain courses, answer institutional safety questions, and meet any additional requirements noted by individual institutions. Here is a list of courses required for direct admission.

All 58 community colleges, 29 independent colleges and universities, and 11 institutions in the UNC System are part of NC College Connect. Here is a list of participating colleges and universities. Note that some independent colleges and universities have additional requirements for a student to qualify for direct admission.

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Eligible students will be notified this fall, according to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), and will be able to accept their offers by completing a short form on CFNC.org. 

Parents and students can learn more about the NC College Connect program by attending one of the webinars below:

On Aug. 26 and Sept. 30, from 6-7 p.m., parents and students can also attend office hours for more personalized support.

School counselors and other public school employees can learn about the program and ask questions during the following webinars: 

Additional information and a toolkit for educators will be available later this summer, per DPI. In the meantime, you can also email DPI with more questions.

Feature Community Colleges K-12
Emily Thomas

From 2019-2026, Emily Thomas created content, conducted research, and told the stories of our state’s students across the education continuum for EducationNC. Emily helped communities think strategically, connecting the threads of education, workforce development, and attainment. Her coverage after Hurricane Helene led to the N.C. Press Association honoring EdNC for public service.

With over 15 years of experience in education, much of her career has been spent in enrollment, advising, and teaching communication at two-year and four-year public and private institutions. She has also worked as a strategic communication consultant for higher education institutions and small businesses. Prior to joining EducationNC, Emily was the vice president of partner relations and senior enrollment strategist for a marketing agency, helping colleges and universities meet their enrollment goals.

Born and raised in western North Carolina, Emily started her college journey at Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute. After graduating from Caldwell, she went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in organizational and public communication from Appalachian State University and a master’s degree in communication from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her research and teaching topics include rhetoric, storytelling, politics, media, health, and end-of- life communication.

Emily loves the outdoors, 70s folk rock music, philosophical writings, and discovering all that nature has to offer. 

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