SCC wins second place in statewide social media competition for Next NC Scholarship

Southeastern Community College won second place in the Next NC Scholarship Social Media Marathon. Hosted by the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority, the marathon was meant to raise awareness about the Next NC Scholarship. The competition, which started on July 21 this year, prompted each college to post engaging photos, videos and graphics to social media platforms with appropriate tags and hashtags that informed the public about the Next NC Scholarship. 

“The goal is to expand awareness of the scholarship, which helps North Carolinians from households making $80,000 or less pursue higher education,” said Alex Granados, Associate Director of Communications at North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority. “The scholarship guarantees at least $5,000 from combined federal and state aid for students enrolling at a UNC institution and at least $3,000 for those enrolling at a North Carolina community college.” 

Ready, set, post! 

“Participating in the Next NC Social Media Marathon was such a rewarding experience,” said SCC’s Marketing and Communications Coordinator Hannah Isenhour. “Over the course of a little more than a month, I created, scheduled and posted more than 80 pieces of content across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and X to spread the word about the Next NC Scholarship and how it changes lives for our students.”

Isenhour explained that each post earned points based on the type of content and platform, so she had to plan carefully to make every post count while keeping everything on brand with SCC’s voice. Throughout the competition, Isenhour worked with staff and faculty to identify students who received the Next NC Scholarship to tell their stories and show how this scholarship changes lives. SCC teamed up with local community members to reach adults who might be thinking about returning to college.

“I am thankful for our campus community, students and partners who supported our efforts, and to the State Education Assistance Authority for organizing this initiative,” Isenhour said. “If you saw an influx of posts about the Next NC Scholarship on our pages, that means we did our job, and we hope it inspired someone to take the next step toward college.”  

According to the College for North Carolina website, the Next NC Scholarship is for students who are enrolled in at least six credit hours, are a North Carolina resident and have completed the FAFSA application. Students do not need to fill out any additional forms.  

“The Next NC Scholarship has made education more accessible for many of our students by providing crucial support for tuition, fees, and other educational expenses,” said Sheila Dockery, SCC Director of Financial Aid. “It reduced financial barriers by covering the tuition balance for several of our students.” 

Jess Hinsley, Associate Outreach Director for the Sandhills Region, delivered a neon green sign that reads “Next NC Scholarship” on Oct. 7. She congratulated SCC on its second place win in the social media marathon competition and said that SCC was far ahead of the third place winner.  

“We’re really glad that community colleges are embracing the Next NC Scholarship and the opportunity it gives people to attend college,” Hinsley said. “This scholarship fills the gap between whatever else is not covered by a student’s other financial assistance. It’s all about college attainment.”  

Want to learn more about the Next NC Scholarship? Click here for the details!