NC Countdown to College

Residency | FAFSA | Applications

NC Countdown to College (C2C) is a month-long initiative that kicks off in October when we encourage you to complete the following three steps in college enrollment.

Residency

To be eligible for in-state tuition, state grants, and certain financial aid, you must show that you are a resident of North Carolina. Go to www.ncresidency.org to complete your residency determination, also known as RDS. This is important regardless of what college or university you may attend in North Carolina. You will use the same username and password for www.ncresidency.org and www.CFNC.org.

FAFSA

Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) gives you access to the largest source of financial aid to pay for college. In addition to federal financial aid, the State of North Carolina and most NC colleges use FAFSA information to award state and institutional financial aid. You might want to complete NC’s Residency Determination Service process at the same time as your FAFSA since much of the required information is the same.

Applications

During this campaign, many North Carolina colleges and universities waive their application fees. Qualifying students can use the College Board or ACT fee waiver for institutions not waiving their application fees (see your high school counselor for more information).