South Piedmont Community College is the latest community college to formalize its participation in Wolfpack Connect, a new program that offers guaranteed admissions to NC State University for community college students.
The partnership with NC State is available to all North Carolina community colleges. South Piedmont welcomed NC State officials to its Monroe campus on Thursday to formally sign on.
Starting in 2026, South Piedmont and other community college students throughout the state who earn an associate's degree in arts or science will receive guaranteed admission to NC State to complete their bachelor’s degree.
“Students don't have to guess," NC State senior provost for enrollment Don Hunt told WFAE. "They have the pathway, they have the information, they have the tools. Now they just need to perform. And if they do what we are asking them to do, they have a clear, guaranteed pathway to NC State where they can continue and thrive.”
Hunt says NC State gets about 50,000 applications per year for its first-year program, but only about 2,500 applications from the state’s community college system. He said NC State hopes the program could boost that number as high as 20,000. Eligibility opens in January for a fall 2026 start.
