NC H132

Creates the High Achieving Tuition Scholarship Program for high school graduates with a 3.5 or higher unweighted GPA attending North Carolina community colleges, beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year.

Scholarships cover up to 16 credit hours of tuition per semester for a maximum of four semesters, reduced by any grants or scholarships from other state or federal sources.

Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA and complete at least 30 semester credit hours annually to renew scholarships; scholarships are revoked for failure to maintain 12 credit hours per semester or default on student financial aid.

Appropriates $50,000 for fiscal year 2017-2018 for administrative costs and $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2018-2019 for administration and scholarship awards, with up to 5% allowed for administrative expenses.

Requires universities to permit scholarship recipients to defer admission for up to two years upon successful completion of an associate's degree, and mandates surveys and reports on program implementation and student transition to universities.