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Johnston County-funded college aid program credited with helping more than 1,000 students, JCC says
Summary
Johnston Community College representatives and students thanked commissioners for the CommissionerPromise program, which JCC estimates saved local households nearly $1.86 million in two-year tuition and fees for the current award year; two students described how the program enabled them to attend college.
Johnston Community College officials and students appeared before the Johnston County Board of Commissioners to thank the board for the Commissioners Promise program and to describe its local impact.
JCC President Vern Lindquist told commissioners the program awarded benefits to more than 1,000 students in the current year and that the grants saved students' households an estimated $1,860,000 in JCC tuition and fees. He said those students' household costs would have exceeded $6,000,000 if the students had attended four-year institutions, a difference he used to illustrate the program' multiplier effect.
Pam Harrell, JCC vice president of student services, introduced several students who attended the meeting. Elise Tipton, a first-generation college student and a JCC freshman, said, "Without this program, I probably would have not been able to go to college." Sarah Prenton, a sophomore and JCC ambassador, said the JOCO Promise allowed her to complete courses, buy books and lab kits, and continue toward a planned transfer to a four-year university for nursing.
Commissioners received the presentation and joined JCC representatives for a group photo. The appearance was a public acknowledgement of the program's reported reach; no county action or budget vote was recorded during the session.
Why it matters: Commissioners fund and publicize programs that reduce the cost barrier to postsecondary education. JCC officials said the Promise program expands local educational attainment and reduces household tuition costs. The college asked commissioners to continue support and highlighted student success stories.
