Finish Line Grants

Finish Line Grants support community college students who are working to complete their education or training and are faced with an unanticipated financial hardship that may prevent them from doing so. Too often, financial emergencies—like unexpected healthcare costs, childcare expenses, or car breakdowns— prevent students from completing their programs. Finish Line Grants are awarded to eligible students facing unforeseen challenges. Grants can be used for housing, medical needs, dependent care, or other financial hardships that students face through no fault of their own.

Historically, former Governor Roy Cooper proposed budgets in both 2018 and 2019 with funding for Finish Line Grants to be made available for students at four-year public and private institutions, in addition to community college students; however, the General Assembly did not fund the Finish Line Grants program resulting in Governor Cooper making available federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds.
Effective Fall 2022, the Governor’s office identified a new funding source of Emergency Assistance to non-Public Schools (EANS), effective the Fall semester of 2022, to specifically serve community college students.

With Finish Line Grants transitioning from the NC Department of Commerce to the North Carolina Community College System, funding also transitioned, becoming State-appropriated funds in FY 2023-2024

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Finish Line Grants FAQs