Central Piedmont Community College Foundation

By removing financial barriers and expanding access to opportunities, Central Piedmont has been a place of transformation throughout its history. The Central Piedmont Foundation secures philanthropic support to invest in scholarships that make a College education accessible for students. Scholarships include opportunity scholarships for students from charlotte's most economically challenged high schools and neighborhoods; transfer scholarships for students preparing to earn a four-year degree; career-focused scholarships for students who aspire to enter the workforce upon graduation; and many general and discipline-specific scholarships. The resources are funded with designated expendable and endowed support.during the fiscal year ended june 30, 2023, the Foundation funded more than 2,000 scholarships. The Foundation worked to expand student emergency assistance, which serves as a critical resource for low-income, at-risk students. Working with the single stop office, the Foundation provided one-time emergency grants of $500 per student to those in need.

As an open-door institution, Central Piedmont strives to provide its diverse student body with the tools and support services necessary to facilitate success. The Foundation's work enhances the College's capacity to address the factors that impede student retention and completion by creating a culture that promotes student success and expands opportunities for students to make meaningful connections to the College. The Foundation supported student success, equity, and engagement in various ways. Services for students include personal and financial counseling, academic and career advising, summer bridge experiences, disability services, family resource/financial advising, military family and veterans services, as well as out-of-classroom experiences such as internships, apprenticeships, work-based learning, and study abroad. Through the Foundation's single stop program, students receive support services such as fafsa application assistance, tax/legal assistance, access to food and dedicated personnel. In addition, the Foundation supported investments in technology for students by its support of academic program personnel and other leadership for charlotte mecklenburg school partnerships, guided pathway advisors, student success leaders, as well as designated College leaders to focus on student success initiatives and enrollment.

Through its extensive educational programs, Central Piedmont offers individuals the opportunity to earn an associate degree, work toward a four-year degree, or take a direct path to employment. The College offers nearly 300 programs in 12 career fields with more than 55 professional pathways so that students are prepared for a real-world career. Classes are designed for close-knit learning with a 19:1 average student to teacher ratio. Students learn from faculty with actual career experience and a hands-on experiential approach. Hundreds of online classes and continuing education programs are available to prepare students for the next step in their career. These educational programs combine to equip students for productive, meaningful lives and position them to contribute to the growth and vitality of the region.

The Central Piedmont Foundation engages donor support at all levels to provide the College with the resources required to respond to current and emerging priorities and needs of its students and the Community. Donations to the Foundation provide critical resources to sustain the College's essential operations and core commitments to support student success. With Foundation funding, the College also encourages, develops, and recognizes excellence among its faculty and staff. The College's center for teaching and learning excellence provides professional development to ensure that faculty knowledge and skills evolve to the highest levels to meet the ever-changing needs of students. Funding is further utilized for campus and auxiliary services, facilities, and maintenance to ensure an outstanding on-campus experience. Through the funding of various program services, the Foundation continues to ensure faculty, staff, and students have an ideal environment for teaching, learning, and growing to facilitate a transformational experience for all students.