A public university in North Carolina has teamed up with six community colleges to offer a program that promises students they will pay no more than $10,000 out of pocket for their four-year degree.
Participating students will attend a two-year college in the state to get their Associate’s degree, then transfer to an online program at Fayetteville State University to finish their bachelor’s. The students will continue to have access to mentors and resources at the local community college
to help them stay on track.
In a way, the plan, announced to great fanfare at press events, is about marketing. True, the program will save some students as much as $3,000 over the course of their degree, which is a significant proportion of the total cost. But in many cases, students already qualify for Pell grants that would keep their out-of-pocket costs from ever reaching $10,000 in the first place.
