Class of 2022, you have undoubtedly been dealt some tough times during your high school years due to COVID. Maybe you’ve had to deal with added stress at home because of job loss and had to take on extra work. Maybe you didn’t get all the traditional activities associated with high school, and instead spent much of last year behind a screen. However, as we all move into a time of recovery and resiliency, we know you have what it takes to move forward!
As leaders in this community and your biggest cheerleaders, we want you to know that we are here to support you, and we hope you will keep your options open.
The first step is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. This form could open doors for you that you didn’t even know existed.
We don’t want you to realize too late that you could have attended college affordably, or even for free, if you had filled out your FAFSA. The FAFSA makes you eligible for grants and scholarships that you don’t have to pay back. To get a college degree or postsecondary education including credentials or certifications, it does not mean you have to go into debt or take out thousands of dollars in loans.
Last year, we watched the Class of 2021 leave $3.75 billion in federal financial aid unused, including over $125 million in North Carolina. We do not want to see you leave that kind of money on the table.
Our community needs you. We want to see you use your talents and realize your dreams. To do that, you most likely will need to get some training after high school. The vast majority of jobs, 70 percent, will require a college degree or credential by 2030.
But you don’t necessarily have to earn a four-year degree to get a good paying job. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College offers training for high-quality credentials that will qualify you for great jobs in just one year or less. Cabarrus College of Health Sciences offers numerous options to prepare you for high-paying healthcare careers.
To give you an idea of how big of an impact college can have on your life, you must look at the amount of money you can earn in your lifetime.
A high school graduate in North Carolina with no college degree can expect to earn only about $11,000 a year out of school.
After 15 years of working, the average North Carolina high school graduate who skips college can expect to earn about $27,000 dollars each year. But a high school graduate who has two years of college can expect to earn $56,000 after 15 years of working. Compare that to a high school graduate who gets a four-year degree. That person can expect to earn $83,000 after fifteen years of working.
You can double the amount of money you earn in your lifetime if you go to college.
Now, some of you may be saying that you tried to fill out the FAFSA but gave up, because it was complicated. We urge you not to give up and to see help from the army of experts across the state ready to help you. Reach out to your high school counselor, any college financial aid office whether you plan to attend the school or not, or visit the College Foundation of North Carolina helpline for virtual and in person help.
This Cabarrus County business community is so proud of the hurdles you have overcome during COVID and the resiliency you’re showing to move forward. Don’t stop; complete the FAFSA and discover a great future! You got this, Class of 2022!
Best wishes,
The Board of Directors
The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
