More than 250 miles separate Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus from UNC Chapel Hill.
For area residents dreaming of attending the state’s oldest public university, a growing program at SCC brings a Carolina degree within reach.
Now in its fourth year at Southwestern, the Carolina-Student Transfer Excellence Program (C-STEP) is designed to guarantee admission to UNC from community colleges around the state. SCC is now accepting current high school seniors to join the fall C-STEP cohort with a deadline of April 1.
SCC’s first two C-STEP graduates – Puja Patel and Trevor Cole - are currently working toward their degrees in Chapel Hill.
“The University of North Carolina may feel like it’s a long distance away, but this program can make it a reality for high school seniors who graduate this May and come to Southwestern this fall,” said SCC C-STEP advisor Deanne Oppermann. “Besides ensuring admission to UNC, C-STEP saves students a lot of money because the first two years at Southwestern are exponentially more affordable. Plus, this is a great place to get acclimated to college life before moving halfway across the state.”
Once students have transferred to UNC, the C-STEP program continues to provide transition and support services.
For more information about C-STEP, visit www.SouthwesternCC.edu/cstep or contact Oppermann at 828.339.4298 or deanne@southwesterncc.edu.
