information session and kick-off event on Monday, Aug. 13, for the Lee County Promise program starting this year at Central Carolina Community College.

All eligible Lee County residents who graduate from a public high school for the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 will be guaranteed up to two years of free in-state tuition and required fees at Central Carolina Community College through the Lee County Promise program. Textbooks and supplemental materials are not included.

CCCC President Dr. T. Eston Marchant welcomed the new students and family members. "This is the first class," said Dr. Marchant. "We are so proud of you. It is amazing to me as I greeted you coming in the variety of majors and things you want to do with your lives. We're here to help you do that."

Funding for the Lee County Promise program was provided through the Lee County Board of Commissioners and from the Robert and Nannie Lou Dalrymple family.

"I am so proud of all of you to take advantage of this opportunity," said Amy Dalrymple, Chair of the Lee County Board of Commissioners and daughter-in-law of Robert and Nannie Lou Dalrymple. "The more opportunities we can provide for young people to get further in their education, the better their lives are going to be. The better our communities are going to be.

"We're so proud of you and we know you're going to do great things," said Dalrymple.

Julian Philpott, Chairman of the CCCC Board of Trustees, has said of the program, "We are excited about the Lee County Commissioners' decision to fund a K-14 Program for qualified Lee County students. This will provide those Lee County high school students who want to further their education at Central Carolina Community College the opportunity to gain college credits and an associate degree without going into debt. This will benefit our Lee County students, their families, and Central Carolina Community College."

"We are grateful to the Lee County Commissioners for their foresight and commitment to quality education in Lee County and at CCCC," said Philpott. "We want to thank the Dalrymple family members for their generous contribution to the CCCC Foundation, which will help provide financial support for Lee County students who are seeking degrees, diplomas or certificates from CCCC."

Eligibility for the Lee County Promise program includes:

• Resident of Lee County.
• Successfully completed Career and College Promise of at least four high school dual-enrollment courses or 12 credit hours. This requirement is waived for 2018 graduates.
• Public high school graduate who will attend Central Carolina Community College as a full-time degree-seeking curriculum student beginning the fall semester following his or her high school graduation.
• Complete the FAFSA and Central Carolina Community College Foundation scholarship application processes annually.

Funding from federal and state grants, scholarships, and outside funding must be exhausted before Lee County Promise begins paying.

To learn more about this program, call Central Carolina Community College at 919-718-7300 or visit www.cccc.edu/promise.