By Richy Huneycutt
North Lenoir High School 2018 graduate Grayson Shreves made his decision to attend Lenoir Community College rather than going to a four-year university based on a guarantee LCC made to him. He received the LCC Guarantee Scholarship, a scholarship in which area students who achieve academic success in high school could get their first two years of college free.
The LCC Guarantee Scholarship provides an incentive to high-achieving students to choose LCC as their launching point to transfer and career opportunities.
“I enrolled at LCC originally because I received the Guarantee Scholarship,” Shreves said. “I was going straight to a four-year university like Mount Olive or East Carolina, but after a semester at LCC, I have realized this was the best decision I have made. Everyone on campus is so nice and helpful. I just don’t think I would have gotten that anywhere else.”
To qualify for the LCC Guarantee, students must graduate from a service area high school—public, private, or homeschool—with NC resident eligibility, complete nine Career and College Promise (CCP) credits with a C or better, graduate high school with a 3.0+ unweighted Grade Point Average (GPA), and enroll as a full-time student the following fall semester at LCC after high school graduation.
“The LCC Guarantee provides an affordable avenue to college and reduces the need for student borrowing,” said LCC President Dr. Rusty Hunt. “These students are already invested in Lenoir Community College by completing nine CCP credits in high school. This is an opportunity for them to continue their college career at no cost to them or their parents.”
To apply for the scholarship, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) located at www.fafsa.ed.gov and the LCC Scholarship application on the www.lenoircc.edu/scholarship by the last Friday in March each year.
The scholarship covers all tuition and required general student fees not covered by financial aid or other scholarships. Book costs and program-specific fees are not covered. LCC reserves the right to limit the number of scholarships, so apply early.
To maintain the LCC Guarantee, students enroll full-time, at least 12 credit hours (based on degree plan) at LCC in a curriculum degree, diploma, or certificate program.
“The scholarship covers a maximum of 60 credit hours,” said Dean of Industrial Programs Dr. Maggie Brown. “The majority of our programs are between 65 and 70 hours to complete. With the nine hours these students already have, they should successfully complete a degree, diploma, or certificate under the LCC Guarantee Program.”
Other requirements of the program include the students continue without a break in attendance between semesters, complete at least 12 credit hours each semester (based on degree plan), maintain a college GPA of 3.0 or better to renew each semester, allow no more than one program of study change, participate in at least one LCC sponsored club, sport, or work-based learning course each semester, meet at least two times each semester with the assigned academic advisor, and have no discipline-related suspensions.
“The benefits of this program are numerous. We want to encourage students to work hard and achieve in high school and to know that hard work is rewarded,” Hunt said. “The LCC Guarantee will not only enhance student engagement but will help produce degreed students who will be employment ready and benefit local economic development.”
For more information, visit LCC Guarantee.
