Page 29 - Robeson Living Spring 2021

earn college credit while in high school. Many of these stu- scholarships and an additional $388,000 in COVID-19 emer-
dents have gone on to earn Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in gency aid & scholarships. 1,397 students received some form
fields such as biology, engineering, pharmacy, and physician’s of financial aid for the Fall 2020 semester. Most of the monies
assistant. dispensed go to students seeking a degree. However, continu-
ing education has recently welcomed several new scholarships
In addition to Early College, RCC offers students the chance for their students.
to earn college credit while enrolled in high school. The Career
and College Promise (CCP) provides dual enrollment educa- Any student enrolled at RCC who is earning a degree can apply
tional opportunities for eligible North Carolina high school for financial aid. All aid that RCC students receive is provided
students. This opportunity allows students to accelerate com- by grants and scholarship programs, which do not have to be
pletion of college certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees repaid. “We are proud to say that our students can graduate
that lead to college transfer or provide entry-level job skills. debt-free, as we do not participate in the Federal Student Loan
The program is free to all students who maintain an unweight- Program,” said Zilma Lopes, Director of Financial Aid & Vet-
ed 2.8 GPA and meet all other eligibility requirements. CCP is eran Services.
a commitment to helping every qualified student gain access to RCC receives millions of dollars in grant and scholarship aid
an affordable college education. from the federal government, state/local government, the insti-
tution via scholarships from our Foundation Office, and other
The University Transfer Partnership Program at RCC is for external scholarship donors. RCC has also recently received a
those students who complete their Associate’s Degree and 2nd batch of federal emergency aid to disburse to students with
transfer as a junior to a four-year university. According to COVID-19 related financial needs.
Scott Lamm, Dean of University Transfer and Health Sciences
at RCC, “The University Transfer Partnerships at RCC is just “We are truly dedicated to seeing our students succeed in their
another opportunity for the students we serve to save money, educational goals and will do what we can to remove financial
time and resources, to meet their ultimate educational goals.” barriers to education. We want students to know that our doors
are always open, and we welcome all questions, comments,
RCC also caters to those individuals who have not completed and requests for assistance,” said Lopes.
high school or in need of other educational opportunities. The
College and Career Readiness (C&CR) Program at RCC con- RCC is truly a “community college” where students can “con-
sists of six targeted programs designed to improve students’ nect to the future.” Today Robeson County ranks second state-
reading, writing, functional mathematics and communication wide with the number of adults holding the nationally recog-
skills to better achieve their goals in life. C&CR is designed nized Career Readiness Certificate and ranks second among
for flexibility so students can take classes without disrupting community colleges that offer the ACT WorkKeys Assessment.
their work schedules. All courses are offered during the day More information about the college is available at www.robe-
and evening in various locations throughout Robeson County. son.edu or by telephone at 910-272-3700. Personal visits are
also encouraged.
The C&CR courses are offered both in-person and virtually.
“We have seen a better outcome for those students who opt for
the in-person method and take advantage of having the instruc-
tor on hand to answer any questions they may have immedi-
ately,” said James Mitchell, Interim Assistant Vice President
of C&CR at RCC. “The college has made laptops available to
students who are enrolled in an approved online program and
are checked out to students on a case-by-case basis.”

All of the C&CR programs offered at RCC are free and avail-
able for anyone 18 years or older. Instructors for the courses
come from diverse backgrounds and include retired school
teachers and teachers who have transitioned to adult education.

All of the educational opportunities at RCC are provided at an
affordable cost. Though the cost for a two-year degree at RCC
varies on the different programs available, the average price
for a two-year degree is $2,432 plus an average cost of $1,400
for books and supplies. For the Fall 2020 semester, RCC’s Fi-
nancial Aid Department disbursed approximately $152,000 in

Robeson Living ~ Spring 2021