RALEIGH (AP) ó A report released today criticizes the grant and financial aid programs that serve the stateís 58 community colleges, saying the aid programs fall short of the financial support a typical community college student needs.
With tuition increases, gas prices rising and the cost of living growing, the formula traditionally used to calculate aid for dependent high school graduates doesnít fit the independent community college student who is likely older, according to a study by the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research.
ěAid programs for community colleges must deal with the reality that in North Carolina students are more likely to be independent of their parents, working, and perhaps supporting a family,î the study says.
The report, which asks North Carolina lawmakers to make several changes to state law, suggests an increase in the Community College Grant from $900 to $1,250 annually to cover the average costs of in-state tuition and fees. The study says the grant program, which often bridges the financial gap between actual income and other assistance, has unused funds left at the end of each year.
The report suggests the State Education Assistance Authority help community colleges better participate in federal student loan programs by coming up with tools, such as loan counseling, to prevent loan defaults.
Fewer than half of the stateís community colleges offer federal loans, which ranks North Carolina third-worst in the country, according to an April report from the Project on Student Debt cited in the study.
If a college has 25 percent of students default on federal loans for three years, the school loses federal funding, including the Pell Grant, the nationís premier financial aid program for low-income students.
Sam Watts, policy analyst for the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research, said the benefits of offering loans outweighs the risk of any sanctions colleges face if students default.
ěNone of the colleges that offer federal student loans are anywhere near danger,î Watts said.
To help parents, the report suggests increasing funding for the Child Care Grant program, which helps students enrolled in curriculum programs afford child care services.
The North Carolina Community College System serves roughly 800,000 students, ranking it the third-largest system in the country.