Choosing a College Path

NC community colleges are the most common 2-year college option. The mission of the North Carolina Community College System is to open the door to high-quality, accessible educational opportunities that minimize barriers to post-secondary education, maximize student success, develop a globally and multi-culturally competent workforce, and improve the lives and well-being of individuals by providing:

• Education, training, and retraining for the workforce including basic skills and literacy education, occupational and pre-baccalaureate programs.

• Support for economic development through services to and in partnership with business and industry and in collaboration with the University of North Carolina System and private colleges and universities.

• Services to communities and individuals which improve the quality of life.

ALAMANCE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Click here for a checklist on steps to apply to ACC

Applications for community colleges usually open in late winter and are not due until the spring. There is NO application fee OR due date for community college.

4-year college institutions are broken down by public and private institutions. Public institutions partner with the state for reduced costs for in-state residents. In North Carolina, we have 17 public institutions and 46 private institutions. In the United States, there are 629 public institutions and 1,845 private...!

UNC System Schools:

For NC public institutions, there are minimum requirements you must meet to apply to any of the 17 schools:

• 2.5 GPA

• 19 ACT or 1010 SAT (NOT APPLICABLE THIS YEAR FOR 2022-2023 ADMISSIONS ROUND)

** Although this is the minimum, schools within the UNC System have very different student profiles and acceptance rates. When doing research for a specific school, look into admissions averages, as well as specific academic programs, student involvement, population, and location.

Check out this breakdown of average admission criteria and cost for NC public and private schools: click here

Multiple 2-year and 4-year institutions in North Carolina have partnered together to provide a pathway for students to move directly from receiving their Associate's degree to their Bachelor's degree. These programs guarantee admission into the 4-year institution upon completion of the Associate's degree. Below are specific programs that partner with ACC and UNC System schools:

Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program (C-STEP)

About C-STEP: C-STEP focuses on high school seniors or community college students. You must also be enrolled (or plan to enroll) at a partner community college in a course of study that will lead to the Associate of Arts (AA) or Associates of Sciences (AS) degree, and you must earn the degree with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2. We review candidates holistically and consider, among other criteria, demonstrated ability to overcome obstacles, first-generation college status, diversity, employment history, and family responsibilities. Talented low- and moderate-income high school and community college students are guaranteed eventual admission to Carolina if they are admitted to and complete the community college portion of the program successfully.

Follow this link on how to apply for C-STEP, and reach out to me if you have questions about the program or how to apply.

Guilford College

Guilford College guarantees transfer admission, waiver of application fee, acceptance of a maximum of 64 community college credits, and grants full junior status to all graduates of designated ACC Associate Degree programs who have followed applicable Guilford College prescribed course selections while completing Alamance Community College program requirements, and earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.50.

NC A&T

ACC has an articulation agreement with the School of Technology of N.C. A&T State University to facilitate the transfer of students graduating from ACC into the Applied Engineering Technology, Electronics Technology, and Graphic Communication Systems degree programs at N.C. A&T. To be eligible for inclusion in this Articulation Agreement, ACC students must complete the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree. ACC students who transfer prior to completing all A.A.S. degree requirements will have their coursework evaluated on a course-by-course basis. A graduate of ACC with an A.A.S. degree in Computer Information Technology with at least a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 based on a 4.0 scale will be admitted to N.C. A&T provided all other conditions are satisfied.

NC Central

Eagle ACCess - Alamance Community College and North Carolina Central University (NCCU) created a partnership agreement, called “Eagle ACCess,” that improves access to undergraduate education and programs that are in high demand. The partnership establishes eight associate to bachelor-degree programs between ACC and NCCU, including several hybrid courses that are offered both either on campus or online.

ACC graduates with an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in an articulated program with at least a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 based on a 4.0 scale will be admitted to NCCU provided all other conditions are satisfied

NC State

The Community College Collaboration (C3) is a dual-admission, dual-enrollment program between N.C. State and eight community college partners (including Alamance Community College).

C3 provides support for students during their time at ACC and prepares them for transferring to N.C. State. Admitted students will have the opportunity to use N.C. State’s student information system and online advising systems, speak with an academic advisor at both institutions, and enroll in courses at both institutions.

Students who can apply include:

• C3 is open to students immediately after completing high school or for community college students who have completed less than 30 credit hours of college work.

• Participants must be from low-to-moderate income households.

Pirate Promise

The Pirate Promise is a partnership between ECU and NC community colleges (including ACC) that provides a transfer program for students who are in their first year of coursework at their community college, including acceptance to attend special events, receive advising assistance, and support before they apply to ECU.

Follow this link for more information about the benefits of the Pirate Promise, and reach out with questions!

Spartan Passage

About Spartan Passage: Spartan Passage is a co-admissions partnership between UNC Greensboro and Alamance Community College. First, apply and gain admission to ACC and then fill out the application to join the Spartan Passage linked below.

Follow this link to learn more about the benefits and how to apply to be a part of the Spartan Passage. Reach out to me if you have questions or concerns!

UNCW Pathway to Excellence

UNCW partners with 29 NC community colleges (including ACC) to provide a pathway for guaranteed transfer admission to UNCW for students completing an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or Associate of Engineering with a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) in transferable college-level coursework.

Follow this link to read more about the program and reach out if you have any questions!