North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority

Name

North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority

Legal name

North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority

Website

https://ncseaa.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Education Financial Aid Administration

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Student Loans (Undergraduate & Graduate) (FSAKAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Continuing Education & Professional Certification Financing (FSAKAEAJ)

Keywords

• State financial aid administration
• Education scholarships
• Student loan servicing
• Forgivable loan programs
• K-12 school choice

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. State Government Funding: NCSEAA is a state government agency funded through North Carolina state appropriations and federal student aid programs. The agency does not generate revenue but administers financial aid programs including grants, scholarships, and forgivable loans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NCSEAA is the state-designated North Carolina agency that administers financial aid programs for K-12 and higher education. It awards and manages scholarships (Opportunity Scholarship, ESA+, Next NC Scholarship, NC Need-Based Scholarship, Golden LEAF Scholars), forgivable loans for service (FELS, Principal Fellows, Teaching Fellows, NBCL), private student loans (NC Assist, NC EXTRA), and supports the NC 529 savings plan through the CFNC college planning portal and MyPortal online platform.

Product overview

North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA) is a state agency that administers financial aid and savings programs for North Carolina students across K-12 and higher education. The organization's portfolio includes scholarship programs (Opportunity Scholarships for K-12 private school tuition, ESA+ for students with disabilities, Next NC Scholarship, NC Need-Based Scholarship, Golden Leaf Scholars), forgivable loan programs for service (FELS, Principal Fellows, Teaching Fellows for STEM/special education), private student loans (NC Assist, NC EXTRA), National Board Certification Loans, the NC 529 tax-advantaged savings plan, and the CFNC college planning portal. Services are delivered through the MyPortal online platform. Key initiatives include NC College Connect for direct college admission and Countdown to College campaigns. The authority also manages NC Residency Determination Service and serves as fiscal agent for additional scholarships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• College for North Carolina (CFNC): A comprehensive resource website for college planning, applications, and financial aid, sponsored by NCSEAA
• Opportunity Scholarship
• Education Student Accounts (ESA+)

Products and services

• Next NC Scholarship Guaranteed scholarship award for students from households making $80,000 or less attending UNC institutions or North Carolina Community Colleges, administered through the FAFSA.
• NC Need-Based Scholarship for Private College and University Students Need-based scholarship program for students attending private colleges and universities in North Carolina.
• Opportunity Scholarship Program K-12 scholarship program created by the NC General Assembly in 2013 awarding scholarships based on household income for students to attend eligible private schools, with award amounts from approximately $3,000 to $7,000.
• Education Student Account (ESA+) Program Scholarship program for students with disabilities requiring special education services, available for private school tuition, homeschool expenses, and approved educational expenses including speech therapy, tutoring, and educational technology.
• Forgivable Education Loans for Service (FELS) Forgivable loan program established in 2011 providing financial assistance to qualified students committed to working in critical employment shortage professions in North Carolina such as teaching and nursing, with loan forgiveness earned through service.
• NC Assist Loans Student loans offered for NC residents and students attending North Carolina colleges and universities to cover the gap between family funds, financial aid, and total cost of attendance.
• NC EXTRA Loans Student loans transferred to NCSEAA when borrowers default, managed for repayment collection.
• Principal Fellows Program (PFP) Merit-based forgivable loan program for individuals with teaching experience pursuing education administration careers in North Carolina public schools as principals or assistant principals.
• Teaching Fellows Program (TFP-S) Forgivable loan program for North Carolina students pursuing degrees to teach STEM, special education, or elementary education in NC public schools, with one year of loan forgiven for one year of full-time teaching in low-performing schools or two years in other qualified positions.
• National Board Certification Loan (NBCL) Loan program covering the assessment fee for eligible teachers seeking National Board Certification, to be repaid in cash within four years with a 12-month interest-free period.
• Golden Leaf Scholars Program Scholarship program for current North Carolina high school seniors and community college transfer students from rural counties demonstrating financial need with intent to return to rural communities.
• NC 529 Plan Tax-advantaged education savings and investment program allowing users to save for college expenses and K-12 tuition, with contributions and earnings usable for qualified education expenses.
• College for North Carolina (CFNC) Comprehensive college planning and application portal providing resources for students, families, and education professionals, including Countdown to College and College Application Week initiatives.
• NC Residency Determination Service (NC RDS) Service helping students demonstrate in-state residency for tuition purposes, providing consistent residency determination for college savings.
• MyPortal Online platform for borrowers with State Forgivable loans or National Board Certification Loans to make electronic payments, update contact information, upload forms, view billing history, and manage accounts.
• NC College Connect Program providing direct admission to in-state colleges and universities for eligible public high school seniors, automatically admitting students with 2.8 weighted GPA or higher without traditional applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 104,000 grants and scholarships awarded to higher education students totaling nearly $260 million
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NC College Connect Partners (11 public universities, 29 private colleges, 58 community colleges)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Collaboration between multiple state education bodies providing direct admission to NC colleges for high school seniors with 2.8+ weighted GPA.
• College Foundation Inc. (CFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFI is NCSEAA's primary partner for student loan operations. NCSEAA serves as the state student loan guaranty agency for loans made by CFI, including EXTRA Loans and NC Assist Loans.
• College for North Carolina (CFNC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCSEAA is the primary sponsor of CFNC, a comprehensive college planning portal that helps students with residency determination, financial aid, and college applications.
• UNC SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in administering Next NC Scholarship and other financial aid programs for UNC institutions.
• NC Community College SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in financial aid administration for community college students and NC College Connect direct admission program.
• NC Independent Colleges & UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in administering NC Need-Based Scholarship for private college students.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA): PHEAA is a state-affiliated agency that administers Pennsylvania's higher education grant and scholarship programs and serves as a major federal student loan servicer/guarantor, directly comparable to NCSEAA's dual role administering aid and managing state loan programs.
• New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC): HESC is New York's state student financial aid agency administering TAP grants, scholarships, and the NY 529 plan. Directly comparable to NCSEAA's mandate to administer state-funded grants, scholarships, and 529 savings programs for in-state students.
• Florida Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA): OSFA administers Florida's state scholarship and grant programs including Bright Futures and EASE. Comparable as a state-designated agency distributing scholarship aid at large scale and managing K-12 and higher education funding pathways.
• Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: THECB administers Texas's state financial aid programs including TEXAS Grants and TEOG, and coordinates statewide higher education planning. Comparable in scale, statutory authority, and direct role in disbursing state-funded education aid.
• Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC): GSFC administers Georgia's HOPE Scholarship and other state-funded financial aid programs, including K-12 Georgia Promise Scholarships. Closely comparable to NCSEAA's role administering state-funded merit and need-based scholarships and managing a scholarship portfolio at scale.
• Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC): ISAC administers Illinois's MAP grants and state scholarship programs and operates as a federal loan guarantor. Comparable to NCSEAA's dual function as state aid administrator and loan guaranty agency partnered with College Foundation Inc.
• Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC): TSAC administers Tennessee's state scholarship and grant programs including the HOPE Scholarship and Tennessee Promise. Comparable to NCSEAA as a state aid agency administering large-scale scholarship programs with statutory authority.
• California Student Aid Commission (CSAC): CSAC administers California's Cal Grant and Middle Class Scholarship programs and is one of the largest state student aid agencies. Comparable in scale, statutory authority, and direct-to-family scholarship administration model.

Emerging players

• College Foundation Inc. (CFI): CFI is NCSEAA's primary partner handling loan servicing operations for NC Assist and NC EXTRA Loans, and also operates CFNC.org. Highly comparable as a partner organization with overlapping mandate in NC-specific loan and college planning services.

Broad incumbents

• ECMC Group: ECMC is a national nonprofit that operates federal student loan servicing and education-focused programs, with a mission aligned to NCSEAA's. Comparable as a larger, multi-state entity providing education financial services and operating loan-related programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority