A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to appropriate funds to expand the college advising corps program to all 100 counties in the state over a three‑year period.
Whereas, the College Advising Corps (CAC) trains and places college advisers in high schools to assist students and parents in selecting the best community college or university for their needs; and
Whereas, CAC specializes in obtaining institutional aid and scholarships for students, helping those students attend a postsecondary institution with lower or no student education debt; and
Whereas, during the 2016‑2017 school year, CAC placed 112 counselors in North Carolina covering 52 counties, 59 school systems, and 133 high schools; and
Whereas, during the 2016‑2017 school year, students served by CAC in North Carolina were awarded $278 million in scholarship dollars and institutional aid offers; and
Whereas, students served by CAC accepted $84 million of the $278 million in scholarship dollars and institutional aid offers; and
Whereas, of the $84 million in scholarship dollars and institutional aid offers, $60 million was accepted by students living in Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties; and
Whereas, the cost of $5.6 million to train and employ counselors who generated $84 million in scholarship dollars and institutional aid offers results in a return on investment of $15.00 for every $1.00 spent; and
Whereas, CAC proposes to scale up the program over three years to reach all 100 North Carolina counties, 109 school systems, and 183 high schools with a cost equally shared between the philanthropic community, postsecondary institutions, and the State; Now therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Purpose of the College Advising Corps Program. – It is the intent of the General Assembly to support an expansion of the placement of college advisers in North Carolina public schools through the work of College Advising Corps (CAC) over a three‑year period. CAC is a college access nonprofit organization with the mission to increase the number of underrepresented, low‑income, or first‑generation postsecondary degree or certificate students entering and completing their postsecondary education at community colleges and universities. In furthering this mission, CAC operates an innovative model of partnering with schools, communities, families, and postsecondary institutions, including providing for a two‑year service opportunity to recent college graduates as near‑peer college advisers working full‑time in the public schools, with an emphasis on engaging college advisers who have similar backgrounds to the students the program seeks to serve. Near‑peer college advisers perform various services for those students that are key components to the proven success of the program, including (i) attending postsecondary campus visits, fairs, and workshops with students, (ii) assisting with registering for college entrance exams, (iii) assisting with Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) registrations and completions, (iv) identifying available scholarships, (v) assisting with postsecondary applications, and (vi) engaging with parents.
SECTION 2.  Funds for the Expansion in the First Two Years. – Due to the effectiveness of the innovative model operated by CAC and the potential for significantly impacting the highest‑need students as described in Section 1 of this act, the following funds are appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina to be provided each fiscal year of the 2019‑2021 fiscal biennium to CAC for the purpose of expanding the placement of college advisers in accordance with the requirements of this act:
(1)	For the 2019‑2020 fiscal year, the sum of two million one hundred eighty‑three thousand three hundred thirty‑three dollars ($2,183,333) in recurring funds.
(2)	For the 2020‑2021 fiscal year, an additional sum of three hundred sixty‑six thousand six hundred sixty‑seven dollars ($366,667) in recurring funds for a net appropriation of two million five hundred fifty thousand dollars ($2,550,000) in recurring funds.
SECTION 3.  Funds for the Third Year of the Program. – It is the intent of the General Assembly to appropriate from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina an additional sum of two hundred eighty‑three thousand three hundred thirty‑three dollars ($283,333) in recurring funds for a net appropriation of two million eight hundred thirty‑three thousand three hundred thirty‑three dollars ($2,833,333) in recurring funds to be provided to CAC for the 2021‑2022 fiscal year and subsequent fiscal years for the purpose of expanding the placement of college advisers to all 100 counties of the State in the third year of the expansion of the CAC program.
SECTION 4.  Matching Funds. – Funds made available to CAC pursuant to this act shall be matched by CAC on the basis of two dollars ($2.00) in non‑State funds for every one dollar ($1.00) in State funds. Availability of these matching funds shall not revert but shall continue to be available for the purposes set forth in this act.
SECTION 5.  Use of Funds. – CAC shall focus the first two years of the expansion of its program using the funds provided to it under Section 2 of this act by placing college advisers in counties designated as Tier 1 and Tier 2. For the third year of the expansion, CAC shall use the funds provided to it to place college advisers in the remaining counties designated as Tier 3 in order to achieve placement of college advisers in all 100 counties of the State. In addition, CAC shall select at least three additional postsecondary institutions to partner with in order to increase the number of recent graduates working as near‑peer college advisers to meet the needs of the program expansion. Once CAC has reached the goal of placement of college advisers in 100 counties, the funds provided to it in accordance with this act shall be used to continue the mission of the program to increase access for North Carolina public school students to postsecondary degree or certificate attainment at community colleges and universities.
SECTION 6.  Reporting Requirements. – CAC shall submit a report by June 1 of each year in which CAC spends State funds made available pursuant to this act to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Fiscal Research Division on the progress of expanding the placement of college advisers, data on the effectiveness of the program in increasing access for students to postsecondary education, and the use of State funds.
SECTION 7.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2019.