Boost

Program Description: 

Boost in an accelerated college-to-career program that supports learners at North Carolina community colleges who are receiving state or federal financial aid. It is the first statewide application of the CUNY ASAP model. Boost participants must be working toward a degree program that aligns with Propel NC, a North Carolina Community College System initiative that prioritizes training for high-wage, high-demand jobs. 
 
Boost provides participating community college learners with many supports proven to contribute to persistence and completion: one-on-one academic advising and coaching, financial resources for tuition and books, and an encouraging community.  
 
Boost learners receive up to $600 per year for textbooks and a $100 monthly stipend for meeting with their academic adviser. The regular meetings help keep learners on track, and the stipend incentivizes attendance, especially for those who are balancing school and work. 

Impact: 

Boost was modeled after the CUNY ASAP program, which doubled college completion rates. Six years after graduating, ASAP alumni earned 11 percent more than their counterparts. 

Despite the high up-front investment, research has shown that programs like this one eventually reduce the cost-per-degree for taxpayers, since more learners successfully graduate. 

Population Served: 

North Carolina community college learners at a higher risk of stopping out before earning a degree, identified by their eligibility for financial aid. 

Key Steps for Implementation: 

• Arnold Ventures partnered with CUNY ASAP to launch similar programs at community colleges across the country. 

• Arnold Ventures provided North Carolina with a private grant of $35.6 million, the largest ever received by the North Carolina Community College system. 

• Boost launched at Forsyth Tech in North Carolina in July 2025, expanding to the entire North Carolina community college system in 2026. 

Learn more here.

Page last updated in August 2026