North Carolina has three state programs that can sharply cut what residents pay for college: the Next NC Scholarship, the NC Need-Based Scholarship, and NC Promise tuition. The good news is that one action starts all of it: filing the FAFSA. The figures below are for 2026-27 and can change, so confirm them at nextncscholarship.org and cfnc.org.
Next NC Scholarship
Next NC combines the federal Pell Grant with state aid into a simpler, more predictable award. It began in 2023 and applies at NC community colleges and UNC System universities. To qualify, you generally need to be an NC resident eligible for in-state tuition, a high school graduate, from a household with adjusted gross income of $80,000 or less, enrolled in an eligible undergraduate program for at least 6 credit hours per semester (part-time students get a partial award), making satisfactory academic progress, and have a FAFSA Student Aid Index (SAI) of 7,500 or less. Not sure what that number means? See our guide to the Student Aid Index.
How much Next NC pays
At community colleges, it covers tuition and fees in full. Qualifying students at a UNC System university receive a minimum of $5,000 per year, and the award can also help with books, food, and housing. For context, average annual tuition and fees at the 12 UNC System universities outside NC Promise are about $7,644 in 2026-27, so $5,000 or more covers most of that.
NC Need-Based Scholarship (private colleges)
This program is for NC residents attending private colleges in North Carolina, such as Elon, Campbell, Meredith, or Duke. You need at least 6 credit hours at a qualifying private NC campus, no previous bachelor's degree, and financial need based on your FAFSA SAI. Students with an SAI of 15,000 or less are eligible, a higher cutoff than Next NC. The minimum award set by state law is $500.
There's no separate application. You're considered automatically when you file the FAFSA, but late filers can be denied if the funds run out.
NC Promise tuition
At four UNC System schools (Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, UNC Pembroke, and Western Carolina), in-state tuition is $500 per semester. Fayetteville State's NC Promise tuition starts in fall 2026. Out-of-state students entering in 2026 or later pay $3,500 per semester, up from $2,500.
Tuition isn't the full cost, though. Fees, housing, and meals add up: Fayetteville State lists fees around $1,450 a semester, and Western Carolina estimates about $8,200 to $8,700 per semester with housing and meals. For eligible families, pairing NC Promise with Next NC can cover full tuition and fees.
Deadlines
For Next NC, the priority filing date is June 1 for UNC System universities and August 15 for NC community colleges. Because funds for some programs can run out, file the FAFSA as early as you can once it opens, and check each school's own financial aid page for its priority date.
The honest bottom line
File the FAFSA early, since all three programs run through it. Then compare actual award letters, because tuition is only part of what you'll pay. The class of 2027 will file the 2027-28 FAFSA, which uses 2025 income, so verify current amounts and dates at nextncscholarship.org and cfnc.org.