McDowell Technical Community College, along with the College Foundation of North Carolina and Radio La Grande, will hold a special “FAFSA Fiesta” on the McDowell Tech campus next Tuesday, July 30th to help current and prospective students complete admission and financial aid applications for the upcoming school year, especially the new Next NC Scholarship program which guarantees eligible students attending a NC community college a minimum of $3,000 in federal and state financial aid, more than enough to cover tuition and fees for an academic year. The event is free and open to the public.
“The timing of our FAFSA Fiesta couldn’t be more perfect, with classes starting on August 19th,” said Dr. J.W. Kelley, who became President at McDowell Tech on July 1st. “We appreciate our partners, McDowell High School and CFNC, for coming alongside us to help plan, coordinate and market this event, and especially Radio La Grande for helping us host the Fiesta.” Radio La Grande is an online and broadcast radio station with strong ties to the Latino community throughout North Carolina.
“While the FAFSA Fiesta is open to all students and prospective students, regardless of racial or ethnic background, we will have interpreters on-hand to facilitate communication with our Hispanic students and their families,” said Amanda Buchanan, Director of Financial Services at McDowell Tech.
Students who come to the FAFSA Fiesta can get assistance completing all admissions and financial aid forms for a seamless start to the fall semester. Those students whose families have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $80,000 or less will be eligible for the $3,000 minimum scholarship if they complete all necessary applications at the event and any required verification steps emailed to them over the next few days.
What is the Next NC Scholarship?
The Next NC Scholarship is a new program which combines federal PELL grant awards with state-funded financial aid, providing a more streamlined approach to student financial aid in North Carolina. The application for Next NC Scholarships is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more commonly known as the FAFSA.
Next NC Scholarships are considered grants, not loans, and students do not have to repay these funds upon graduation.
Criteria for the Next NC Scholarship are straightforward and simple. Eligible students must be:
- A North Carolina resident who is eligible for in-state tuition
- A high school graduate (those who have completed a high school equivalency are also eligible)
- From a household with an annual Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $80,000 or less
- Enrolled in an eligible curriculum program for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Taking at least 6 credit hours per semester (part-time students will receive a partial award)
- Meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards of the school he or she is attending
Even More Scholarships!
In addition to Next NC Scholarships, those who complete the college’s institutional scholarship application at the FAFSA Fiesta become eligible for scholarships that are exclusive to McDowell Tech. Many of these are funded through the generous contributions of donors to various scholarship programs maintained by the MTCC Foundation.
Students who are graduates of McDowell High School may also apply for scholarships from the William Harold Smith Foundation. These applications are due by August 20th, so students who complete this application at the Fiesta will be a step ahead in the application process.
Staff members from the Financial Aid Office at MTCC will have all scholarship applications available at the FAFSA Fiesta, although those who want to get an early start on their applications may visit mcdowelltech.edu/financial-aid/ .
What to Bring to the Fiesta
To complete admissions forms, the FAFSA, North Carolina’s Residency Determination Service (RDS), institutional scholarship forms and the William Harold Smith Scholarship applications, students will need to provide the following information:
Full name, Birth Date and Social Security Number
All tax information for the student and their parent related to taxable income
Information on untaxed income, such as child support payments, Social Security benefits, etc.
Most importantly, students and parents who have already created a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID should bring that ID, as well as their password. Staff will be on-hand at the Fiesta to help those who have not already created an FSA ID to obtain one.
In addition, dependent students will need the same information as listed above for their parents, so it will be helpful for one or both parents to attend, although they are not required to be there. Students who are unsure if they need parental information may call the Financial Aid Office at 828-652-0483 or visit https://studentaid.gov/help/who-is-parent .
“It will be worth your time to attend our FAFSA Fiesta on Tuesday,” said Dr. Kelley. “We will have success coaches, financial aid staff, local partners and others on-site to assist you with our scholarship programs. We will have free food from local restaurants, and for most students, the entire process shouldn’t take much more than an hour. Please join us and start your dream today!”
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