Prepare for College

College should be accessible for anyone who is willing to learn and better themselves. That’s why NC State has dedicated pathways programs that help you get to college.

Here are some of our programs that can help you take the next steps in your education:

TRIO Programs

While traditional financial aid programs help students overcome financial barriers to accessing higher education, TRIO is designed specifically to help students overcome class, social and cultural barriers. TRIO is federally funded, and at NC State, is composed of Student Support Services and SSS-STEM, Talent Search, Upward Bound and the Ronald M. McNair Scholars program. Two programs, Talent Search and Upward Bound, are dedicated to helping high school students navigate their way to college.

TRIO Talent Search

Talent Search serves sixth through 12th graders. In addition to counseling, students and their families are provided with assistance in choosing a college, applying for college and applying for financial aid. Talent Search helps young people better understand their educational opportunities and options.

See how Talent Search benefits you

TRIO Upward Bound

Upward Bound provides students in five area high schools with academic and life skills through an array of free program services, including academic skills development, college application and enrollment assistance, cultural enrichment and more.

Learn about Upward Bound

A large group of students in teal and yellow shirts raising their hands

Juntos

Juntos means “together” in Spanish, and the program works to unite community partners to provide Latinx students with knowledge, skills and resources to help them stay in school and gain access to college. Research shows that Latinx youth are at greatest risk for dropping out of school between 9th and 10th grades, so the Juntos program works to reduce this risk by bringing together cohorts of 8th-grade youth to support each other for three to five years as they enter high school and prepare together for higher education.

College Advising Corps

The NC State College Advising Corps (CAC) assists low-income, first-generation college and underrepresented students from rural North Carolina to navigate the process of finding colleges that are the best academic, financial and personal fit for them. NC State CAC has 21 alumni/advisers serving in 21 high schools across 11 counties, where they work with students to help them realize their potential and guide them towards higher education.