College Resources

Useful Websites in the College Application Process

College Foundation of NC (CFNC)
This is a free service of the state of NC that helps students plan, apply and pay for college. Students can sign up for a free account. Students may also apply directly to NC colleges through this website.

College Board
Students may know about this site for SAT prep and AP classes, but they also offer college and scholarship search tools.

College Scorecard
US Department of Education website lets you search and compare colleges (field of study, costs, admissions, results and more)

CollegeData.com
This site is great for researching schools. You can see admission statistics along with lots of other information. They also have a scholarship search feature, a net price calculator and a College Chances tool.

Common App
This website is an application platform that allows students to apply to multiple colleges using one common application along with supplemental materials for each school. Most of our students apply to college using this website as over 1000 schools are members. When entering your recommenders use this contact information for applications:

Common Black College Application
This website allows students to apply to any number of the 67 member HBCU's for only $20.

Corsava What should you be looking for in a college? Not sure where to apply? This is an online tool designed to help students discover what is most important to them about the college experience. Vance Charter has a license to use this online resource with students. Contact Mrs. Seifert to access your free account.

NC Residency Determination Services
This is a service used by many of the 2- and 4- year colleges in NC to determine residency status for students. Residency status determines whether you pay in- or out-of-state tuition, and your eligibility for state financial aid. (Tip: If your student took classes at VGCC, they already have a CFNC account and can access RDS through that site. They should not create a new RDS account.)

How to Pay for College

1. Fill out your FASFA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) This is necessary to determine your eligibility for federal and state financial aid. Even if you don't anticipate qualifying for federal aid, you oftentimes must complete the FAFSA to be considered for scholarships through the school. All students should complete the FAFSA! The application for this next school year will open in December 2023.

2. Apply for scholarships. This is money that does not have to be repaid. There are many scholarship opportunities available - awarded for academics, special activities, financial need, demographics, etc. Each school has their own scholarships, so be sure to check individual college websites. Then check out our Scholarships page to explore additional opportunities!