{"id":4597,"date":"2026-07-14T10:35:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T10:35:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=4597"},"modified":"2026-07-14T10:35:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T10:35:25","slug":"more-nc-students-are-applying-for-federal-student-aid-growth-is-highest-in-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=4597","title":{"rendered":"More NC students are applying for federal student aid. Growth is highest in US"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.<\/p>\n

Read our AI Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n

Hello reader! I\u2019m Jane Winik Sartwell<\/b>, and this is your higher education newsletter from The News & Observer. Welcome back to Higher Stakes<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Read more As candidate, NC senator lobbied for husband\u2019s energy company amid federal probe<\/a><\/p>\n

Today, we\u2019ll look at how the new state budget affects disciplinary procedures<\/b> at public universities; some interesting FAFSA trends<\/b>; and why one former professor lost his lawsuit against UNC-Chapel Hill<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Read on to find out about all these stories and more.<\/p>\n

North Carolina experienced the most growth in the number of federal student aid applications<\/b> among all U.S. states between this year and last, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education.<\/p>\n

This year, more than half of all North Carolina public high school seniors completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, according to the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority.<\/a> That\u2019s more than 62,000<\/b> students. They\u2019re eligible for an estimated $123.7 million<\/b> in federal Pell Grants.<\/p>\n

Overall FAFSA completions \u2014 including adult learners, current college students and high school seniors \u2014 grew by 11%<\/b> from 2025 to 2026. That\u2019s the biggest increase in the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s our goal for every prospective college student to know what options are available to make paying for a higher education more manageable,\u201d wrote Mary Shuping<\/b>, executive director of the assistance authority, in a statement. \u201cIt\u2019s now easier than ever to do that, and that\u2019s a win for the students and for the state of North Carolina.\u201d<\/p>\n

Led by Duke University, the Future Universities Alliance<\/a> is a group of institutions that gather to discuss solutions to modern challenges, including \u201ctechnological disruption, social polarization, economic development, and resource security.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Duke, the times we live in \u201crequire universities that can think and act differently.\u201d To identify how, the alliance has launched an Innovation Sandbox Cohort, a 12-month program<\/b> for higher ed leaders. It\u2019s based on the idea that while universities can learn a lot from one another, they lack a structure to do so.<\/p>\n

Read more Family pulls $1M scholarship fund from NC university, citing anti-DEI policy<\/a><\/p>\n

The inaugural cohort, named in June, includes 49 institutions<\/b> from 23 countries<\/b>. Schools include familiar names like Georgetown and Northeastern, but also schools like Musizi University in Uganda and Taejae University in South Korea. Participants were chosen through a competitive application process, according to Duke.<\/p>\n

The new state budget provides $3 million<\/b> in one-time money to UNC-Chapel Hill\u2019s Kenan-Flagler Business School. The funds will support the launch of an economic forecasting initiative<\/a> that will look at county-level economic conditions, creating data about present and possible future conditions.<\/p>\n

The goal is to provide policymakers, businesses, community colleges, small businesses, and economic developers with relevant economic forecasts. Think GDP and employment numbers, but also two new forecasts \u2014 housing affordability and the most in-demand skills from employers.<\/p>\n

\u201cLocal stakeholders need timely data specific to their communities, and too often they don\u2019t have access to it,\u201d wrote Paige Ouiment<\/b>, executive director of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, part of the business school, in a statement. \u201cBy creating a clearer understanding of how their communities are changing, we can help these decision-makers to support and grow their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank you for reading.<\/b> If you have questions or comments about higher education in NC, please feel free to reach out. My email is jane.sartwell@newsobserver.com. I\u2019d love to hear from you. And if you liked this newsletter, consider sharing it with a friend<\/b>!<\/p>\n

\u2013 Jane Winik Sartwell<\/b><\/p>\n

Not a subscriber? Sign up on our website to receive Higher Stakes in your inbox each week: newsobserver.com\/newsletters<\/i><\/p>\n

Read more TSMC’s June revenue jump breaks a four-year seasonal pattern<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

North Carolina led the nation in FAFSA growth, with 55% high school completion and $122.5M in estimated Pell Grants as overall federal aid applications rose 11%.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":527,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nMore NC students are applying for federal student aid. 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