North Carolina’s Community College Program Faces Funding Elimination
In a significant development, the North Carolina General Assembly has decided to cease funding for a long-standing program aimed at enhancing the success rates of community college students. Initially launched as the “Minority Male Success Initiative” in 2003, the program focused on closing opportunity gaps for students from historically underserved backgrounds.
Last year’s anti-DEI movements prompted a shift in both the program’s name and its focus. With the release of the latest state budget, financial support has been completely withdrawn.
Proven Track Record in Student Retention
Since its inception, the initiative has been instrumental in aiding marginalized male students to persist and graduate from community colleges in North Carolina. Starting in 2007, the program received funding in four-year cycles, contributing to significant success. By the fiscal year 2024-2025, the initiative assisted over 27,000 students, raising persistence and completion rates to nearly 54%.
Jeremiah Artacho, a former student at Durham Tech, shared his experience, stating, “If this program never existed, I would have never made the connections that I have today,” he told WUNC last February. “Without MCSI, I’m not sure where I would be … through being in that group at Durham Tech, I’ve been able to meet a lot of different people and create relationships that I know will last for a long time.”
In response to anti-DEI initiatives at both federal and state levels, the program underwent a transformation last year. It was rebranded as the “Student Success Initiative” and expanded its scope to offer support to “historically underachieving students,” incorporating “targeted interventions” such as financial aid literacy, student wellness, and career preparation.
Earlier this year, during a community college board meeting, members underlined the necessity of state funding to sustain and expand the Student Success Initiative. The Community College System expressed ambitions to extend the program across the state and enhance workforce pipelines.
A report from the Community College System to state legislators emphasized, “By supporting historically underachieving students to completion in their respective area of enrollment, the SSI is essential in meeting North Carolina’s workforce needs and credential attainment goals.”
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