Next Step is a CFNC.org program for high school juniors and their parents or guardians, running every year from January through June. It helps juniors take action toward their plans after graduation, whether that means entering the workforce, enrolling in a two year or four year college, or joining the military, and gives parents, guardians, and educators ways to support them along the way.
Juniors and their parents or guardians create a free CFNC.org account and complete the Next Step form to share their plans and, if they choose, their contact information with North Carolina colleges. Completing the form also unlocks three short online paths, one each for workforce, college, and military, so students can prepare for whichever fits them. Educators can join the Next Step Educator Community listserv on cfnc.org for tips, updates, and shareable assets to promote the program at their school.
Highlighted Features
- Filter results by district, school, program year, or date range
- View student participation by school in a chart, or select Switch to Grid View to see the underlying data in table form
- Browse results across three tabs, Profile and Plans, Interests and Understanding, and Participation
- On the Profile and Plans tab, view charts breaking down student Roles, Likely Next Step, Second Next Step, and GPA, plus a searchable, exportable table of individual students and their Education Plans After High School
- On the Interests and Understanding tab, view charts on students' understanding of high school requirements and the college enrollment process, their Top 10 Colleges of Interest, who needs a StudentAid.gov account, reasons to complete the FAFSA, Career Cluster Interests, and More Information Topics
- On the Participation tab, view charts on who wants to participate in the online program, whether students want to share their contact information with colleges, and their progress through the College, Workforce, and Military paths