About C-STEP

In 2006, with the help of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill launched the Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program, or C-STEP, to enable more community-college students to transfer to and graduate from Carolina. Talented low- and moderate-income high school students are guaranteed eventual admission to Carolina if they enroll at one of three local community colleges-Alamance Community College, Durham Technical Community College, or Wake Technical Community College-and complete the program successfully.

C-STEP is part of a national effort to encourage more low- to moderate-income community-college students to transfer to highly selective four-year colleges and universities. The program aims to help such students prepare for the academic and social challenges they will face when they enroll at Carolina, and then to thrive here once they have transferred.

Students who are invited to participate in C-STEP agree to earn appropriate associate degrees and participate actively in the program. C-STEP offers students special events and advising, both at their home college and at Carolina, while they are pursuing their associate degrees, and provides exemplary transition and support services once they have enrolled at Carolina and are pursuing their bachelor degrees. These enhanced efforts will ensure that C-STEP students will feel firmly planted at Carolina almost immediately upon matriculation. They will be academically prepared and fully engaged in the campus community - both of which are strong indicators of student success.

Another important consideration for any student considering transferring to a four-year university is how to pay for their education. Carolina guarantees to meet 100 percent of every admitted student's demonstrated need through grants, scholarships and loans. Qualified C-STEP students will be offered the opportunity to enroll as Carolina Covenant scholars, a landmark program that enables low-socioeconomic students to graduate debt-free.

C-STEP currently serves nearly 100 students; more than 33 of those have already enrolled at Carolina. The remaining students are expected to enroll after they have completed their community-college courses. The inaugural class of 7 students will graduate in May 2008, and many of these students are working as mentors to the new C-STEP class.

While the C-STEP partnership is currently limited to Alamance Community College, Durham Technical Community College, and Wake Technical Community College, it is our goal to serve as a model and eventually expand this program across the state.

Rebecca Egbert, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB #2200 Jackson Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-2200
Phone: (919) 966-3984; Fax: (919) 962-3045
regbert@admissions.unc.edu

Jennie Cox Bell, Assistant Director of Admissions
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB #2200 Jackson Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-2200
Phone: (919) 843-7286; Fax: (919) 962-3045
jcoxbell@admissions.unc.edu