WAKE COUNTY — Students who graduate from a North Carolina high school this year can attend Wake Tech Community College this fall at little to no cost. 

What You Need To Know

  • The free tuition initiative is for North Carolina residents only

  • It covers students' first year of college

  • If you're graduating high school this spring, getting your GED or finishing homeschool you can apply

  • Applicants much be first-time college students, complete the FAFSA and enroll in at least six credits per semester to qualify​​

The initiative comes at a critical time — more than a million residents in our state owe money on student loans. The average debt is $37,861 per person, according the Education Data Initiative.

It's a scholarship supplement to the state's Longleaf Commitment grant, which covers tuition and fees based on family income. Students would be responsible for the cost of textbooks.  

Jaden Shaw is a high school student enrolled in the Wake Early College of Health and Sciences. He is getting his associate's degree for free.

“I just feel like it's a great boost and on top of that, you're not paying for anything," Shaw said. "Most people will graduate high school, they'll go to a prestigious college and they'll have take out large loans.”

He's encouraged to hear about Wake Tech's initiative that will cover some students' first year of college education.

“People can take on tens of thousands to even hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt, just to take their general ed courses," Shaw said. "For someone to not have to spend that money, it can go a long way."

Related: North Carolina’s secret sauce for attracting new jobs? Community colleges

So far this academic year, more than 1,400 students at Wake Tech received tuition assistance through the Longleaf Commitment program. Another 7,000 students have been awarded federal coronavirus emergency relief funding this year.

To qualify for Wake Tech’s free tuition initiative, students must:

  • Graduate from a North Carolina high school or earn a GED/HiSET in 2022. Students who completed high school requirements in December 2021 or January 2022 qualify
  • Be admitted to a Wake Tech credit program
  • Be a first-time college student. Career and College Promise and Early/Middle College students qualify
  • Complete the 2022-23 FAFSA
  • Be a resident of North Carolina as determined by the Residency Determination Service (RDS)
  • Enroll in at least six credit hours per semester