Gov. Easley Announces N.C. Learn And Earn Outreach Campaign

RALEIGH – Gov. Mike Easley today launched a new statewide campaign to increase awareness about Learn and Earn high schools, Learn and Earn Online and the EARN grants. He outlined the plan aimed at students, parents and teachers at a meeting of school superintendents, State Board of Education members and other education leaders at the Department of Public Instruction Building in Raleigh.

“Learn and Earn and the EARN grants are the best thing to happen to education in a long time, but they are also the best kept secret in education,” said Easley. “Our job is to make sure parents and students know that every student in North Carolina can achieve their dreams and go to college for free.”

To communicate to students and parents about the Learn and Earn and EARN grant programs, Easley has asked the school superintendents to work with distance learning coordinators and communications directors in their districts to develop local outreach and communication plans and to begin implementing their plans by mid-August. State Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson and State Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee will visit schools to assist with local outreach efforts.

Statewide communication efforts include a new Learn and Earn web site, television and online advertising, videos for teachers and guidance counselors to share with students in their schools and a hotline for educators. Outreach efforts will also include a new Learn and Earn Ambassador program in which students and Learn and Earn graduates will travel to middle and high schools in their community to promote the programs. Public Service Announcements started to air this week while other efforts will begin in the coming weeks and continue through the fall and spring.

Learn and Earn early college high schools allow students to jump-start their college education. A total of 60 schools will be open this fall. Schools are located on a community college or university campus and allow students to take college courses, tuition free. After no more than five years of study, students earn a high school diploma and two years of college credit or an associate’s degree.

Learn and Earn Online allows qualified high school students in every public high school in the state to take online college-credit courses for free. As with Learn and Earn high schools, students can earn both high school and college credit for completed courses. This opportunity allows students to earn a community college associate degree, or obtain two years of transferable college credit to any state university by the time they graduate high school. Access to these courses is provided during the school day and in the evening.

The EARN (Education Access Rewards North Carolina) Grants join with other forms of assistance (such as federal Pell Grants) to replace the need for student loans. When fully-implemented, the EARN grants will provide 25,000 students from families earning less then 200 percent of the poverty level (about $40,000 for a family of four), $4,000 a year in assistance for two years. Students receiving the grant will be required to keep their grades up and pay some nominal costs through earned income or work service credit. These grants make a debt-free college degree attainable for many students. For more information about any of these programs visit www.nclearnandearn.gov.