RALEIGH, N.C. — Matt Calabria, Director of the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC), visited McDowell Technical Community College today to call attention to the state’s emergency scholarship and grant programs that provided financial assistance to tens of thousands of college students hurt by Hurricane Helene.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s destructive path across western North Carolina, more than 45,000 students who live in affected areas or attend affected schools have received scholarships or emergency grants. The program, backed by more than $48 million in state appropriations, was designed to help students in the UNC System, the North Carolina Community College System, and private colleges stay enrolled and on track to graduate.

Following Hurricane Helene’s destruction of western North Carolina, students were confronted with a major interruption in their studies,” Calabria stated. “The students I encountered today at McDowell Tech were amazingly strong. We’ve tried to do all we can to help alleviate some of those financial burdens through state-funded emergency grant and scholarship programs.”

At McDowell Technical Community College, the impact of that aid is already apparent.

This investment wasn’t just for individuals—it strengthened our whole campus community to Learn, Grow, and Dream, so local employers can keep depending upon a skilled, resilient workforce,” said Dr. James “J.W.” Kelley, McDowell Tech President. “The impact of this support will be realized for generations to come in the lives of our students and the well-being of our region.”.

Nearly half of the money total—nearly $23 million—was used to help students at community colleges, particularly those in western North Carolina. At least 20,725 students from or in school in the region employed this help in paying tuition, fees, and emergency expenses that otherwise might have derailed their studies.

The initiatives were established to aid in helping students be able to stay enrolled and maintain their educational and career courses in spite of the hardship created by the hurricane. Students applied the grants to cover costs of things such as housing, transportation, and technology utilized for distance learning.

GROW NC, along with the North Carolina Community College System and other state agencies, continues to coordinate recovery efforts and provide assurance that resources are being allocated to those most in need.

For more information about the state’s ongoing hurricane recovery efforts and student support initiatives, go to nc.gov.