FY2021-22 STWD Grant Program - Policies, Required Workflows, and FAQs
NUMBERED MEMO CC22-025
TO: Community College Presidents
Chief Academic Officers
Chief Business Officers
Chief Continuing Education Administrators
Chief Student Development Administrators
Financial Aid Directors
FROM: Nate Humphrey
Associate Vice President, Workforce and Continuing Education Programs
SUBJECT: FY2021-22 STWD Grant Program – Policies, Required Workflows, and FAQs
DATE: April 1, 2022
This memo provides policy, required workflows, and FAQ guidance on implementing the
Short-Term Workforce Development (STWD) Grant Program established by Session Law 2021-180.
This historical milestone for our System represents the first state-funded financial aid program
for eligible Workforce Continuing Education (WCE) students pursuing high-demand,
family-sustaining wage credentials through our colleges.
Background:
In 2021, the General Assembly allocated $3,000,000 each year of the biennium to the N.C.
Community College System (NCCCS) for eligible students pursuing high-demand workforce
training programs within workforce pathways identified in collaboration with the Department of
Commerce that lead to a State or industry-recognized credential. These funds intend to remove
access barriers to high-quality, in-demand, sustaining wage careers for North Carolinians.
Through this program, each college is able to determine grant award amounts based on student
needs, local industry needs, number of eligible students, and cost of the course/pathway, up to
a maximum award of $750 per course. These grants will help address the cost of
tuition/registration fees, course fees, books, supplies, credentialing tests, transportation,
childcare, and any other components of the total cost of attendance.
Under this program, each college is eligible for an allocation determined by the college’s Budget
Full-Time Equivalency (BFTE) weighted for each funding Tier as presented in Table 1. Due to the
shortened timeframe available to utilize funds this fiscal year, colleges are required by the State
Board to submit the attached one-page allocation request and assurances agreement to
WCERequests@nccommunitycolleges.edu to request their allocation in their next allocation
letter from State Aid. It is important to note, the System President has authority to reallocate
funds during the program year to ensure full utilization of funds. This “opt-in” process facilitates
the efficient reallocation of any returned or declined funds.
Eligibility Criteria:
At a minimum, eligible students applying for this scholarship must be:
1) A resident of North Carolina
a. As required by Session Law 2021-180 Section 6.6. (c), eligible students must
establish residency under the criteria outlined in G.S. 116-143.1 following the
coordinated and centralized residency determination process administered by
the State Education Assistance Authority known as the NC Residency
Determination Service (RDS).
2) A Student enrolling in Workforce Continuing Education (WCE) pathways/courses leading
to an N.C. Workforce Credential identified as either Essential or Career level. These
pathways may consist of a single WCE course or a series of courses. The list of eligible
credentials is available at https://nccareers.org/credentials.
Fund Availability:
Funding for this fiscal year is made available through the Current Operations Appropriations Act
of 2021 and remains available through June 30, 2022.
Required Workflows:
Due to the complexities of administering these funds and the associated state reporting
requirements, Colleges shall follow the workflows provided below utilizing the Colleague
Financial Aid module. These required processes will ensure correct awarding, coding, and
reporting of aid to students, and facilitate data matching at the state-level to comply with the
legislation’s reporting requirements. These funds shall not be processed using sponsorship or
third-party payer workflows sometimes used for WCE student support programs.
Business Office and Financial Aid job aids are provided below via ServiceNow, and a revision to
the 2021-2022 NCCCS Scholarship Guide is now live on the System Office website as a resource
to colleges. It includes student application materials that embedd directions on completing the
legislatively required Residency Determination Service (RDS) process for this grant.
Financial Aid: Colleague Scholarship Guide
o ServiceNow KB0011672
Business Office Workflow: Continuing Education Scholarship Award by Financial Aid
o ServiceNow KB0011694
▪ Resource: AR/CR – Open Lab – Business Office Workflow CE Scholarship
Award by FA – 2020-10-12 (Recording) ServiceNow: KB0011735
Colleges experiencing implementation issues should open a ServiceNow ticket to request
assistance. ServiceNow can be accessed at https://ncccs.service-now.com/sp. Questions
regarding these workflows should be directed to the appropriate BSA noted below.
Holly Martin, BSA – Financials & Accounts Receivable/Cash Receipts
martinh@nccommunitycolleges.edu
Brandi Massey, BSA – Financial Aid
masseyb@nccommunitycolleges.edu
To further assist colleges, a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document is attached.
Attachments:
STWD Grant Allocation Request & Assurances
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Resource
CC: Continuing Education Registrars
CC: Registrars
CC: Planners
