RALEIGH (March 23, 2022) – Jim and Ann Goodnight understand the value of community-college students who transfer to universities.

The Goodnight Scholars Program that they launched in 2008 is NC State University’s largest scholarship program; it is expected to grow to 350 or more students.

In 2017, the program began gradually increasing the number of community-college transfer students who are granted scholarships. And by Fall 2022, those students will account for 50% of the Goodnight Scholars on NC State’s campus.

Transfer Scholars receive a 3-year, full-ride scholarship. To be eligible, students must come from a low- or middle-income family and transfer with an associate’s degree from one of North Carolina’s 58 community colleges into one of NC State’s STEM or STEM-education majors. The program accepts North Carolina residents, as well as refugee, DACA and undocumented students who will graduate from a North Carolina community college.

A breakdown of transfer students in the program for 2021-22 reveals great diversity – and great aptitude:

• 63% study engineering, and 37% other STEM or STEM-education majors;

• 56% are students of color; and

• 58% are part of the first generation in their family to go to college.

“They’re phenomenal,” NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson says of the students in the accompanying video. “And the priority of that scholarship is first-generation talent that has financial need.

“When I meet those kids, they’re focused. And they’ve been in the world.”