NC College To Cover Tuition Cost For Some Next Year

A private college in western North Carolina plans to make higher education more affordable for some state residents.

Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa will offer its NC Free Tuition Plan for incoming, in-state students who are eligible for financial aid.   

Students will have to submit proof of their North Carolina residency and qualify for federal or state need-based grants. They'll receive the remainder of their tuition free through scholarships, grants and Warren Wilson's work-grant requirements. School officials say the plan will help lessen dependence on student loans.

The liberal arts school has 716 undergraduate and graduate students. The average cost of attendance after financial aid is $24,400.

School President Lynn Morton says Warren Wilson reallocated scholarship funding to create the program, which will start next fall.