RichmondCC, UNCP Providing Big Savings to College Students

Richmond Community College and The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP) have a long history of working together to provide students seamless transfer opportunities and making higher education accessible in the Southeastern region of North Carolina. With affordable tuition plans in place such as the RichmondCC Guarantee and the North Carolina Tuition Promise Plan (NC Promise), students now have an even greater opportunity for obtaining a college education without going into debt paying for it.

Richmond and Scotland County residents who begin planning their college education as early as high school can place themselves on track to earn an associate degree from RichmondCC for free and a bachelor’s degree from UNCP where the cost of tuition will be no more than $500 each semester.

How is this possible? It starts with the RichmondCC Guarantee, followed by NC Promise at UNCP.

The RichmondCC Guarantee assures free college tuition and fees to RichmondCC for two years for all Richmond and Scotland County residents who graduate from high school with a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher after successfully completing two or more dual enrollment courses through the Career and College Promise program. Eligible students must then complete all college scholarship and financial aid applications and enroll at RichmondCC the following fall semester.

Students who receive the RichmondCC Guarantee are guaranteed free tuition and fees to RichmondCC for two years as long as they maintain good academic standing with the College.

“By guaranteeing free college tuition and fees at RichmondCC for two years, we are providing people with a savings up to $4,800, depending on the program and courses,” Dr. Dale McInnis, president of RichmondCC, said. “The Guarantee rewards motivated students who work hard and take advantage of free college classes while in high school.”

“We want to eliminate financial excuses for why someone can’t go to college or their children can’t go to college,” McInnis added.

After earning a transferable associate degree for free from RichmondCC, a student can transfer to UNC Pembroke, one of three NC Promise campuses offering preferential tuition rates to its undergraduate students.

Under the NC Promise Tuition Plan, the state of North Carolina will buy down tuition at UNC Pembroke to $1,000 per year for in-state students and $5,000 per year for out-of-state students beginning in the fall of 2018.

“The state of North Carolina will match dollar for dollar the difference between our full tuition price and the NC Promise Plan Tuition Plan cost. The end result is affordability for students without sacrificing our quality,” said UNCP Chancellor Robin Cummings. “This significant investment in access to higher education honors the state’s constitutional commitment to make higher education available to all citizens ‘as free as is reasonably possible.’”

UNCP is recognized as the most diverse university in the South, and NC Promise makes the university among the most affordable.

The typical full-year cost at UNCP for in-state, full-time undergraduate students living off campus is approximately $8,000. Under the NC Promise Tuition Plan, the typical full-year cost for in-state, full-time undergraduate students living off campus will drop to approximately $5,600.

“Students who take full advantage of the opportunities that start at RichmondCC for two free years of college and a seamless transfer to UNCP can arrive at the university prepared to earn a bachelor’s degree in just two years,” McInnis said. “With UNCP now a designated NC Promise campus, the cost of paying for those final two years in a baccalaureate program is even more affordable.”

“The NC Promise Tuition Plan will not affect our accreditations, academic offerings, student support or campus experience. In fact, we believe by strategically attracting additional students, the plan will result in an enhanced learning environment and attract additional top students from across North Carolina, across the nation and internationally, increasing diversity while remaining committed to our historic mission,” Cummings added.