Beaufort County Community College makes history with record-breaking graduating class size

BEAUFORT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Beaufort County Community College has made history with a record-breaking graduating class size.

To accommodate this year’s class size, the college hosted its historic ceremony for the first time on the Washington High School football field.

Deloris Clemons, a graduate receiving her Associate in Art and General Education says it’s an honor.

“I’m so excited that I got a chance to be a part of this impactful moment, and the excitement is in the air,” she said.

391 eligible graduates represent a 7 percent increase from the 367 students eligible in 2024.

It also represents another 10 percent increase from 2023 to 2024.

BCCC’s President Dr. David Loope says it’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of the students.

“I think there are two main reasons for it. One, is our Beaufort Promise Scholarship that we’ve had in place since about 2021, and that’s enabled us to pay for tuition and fees for a significant amount of our students in all four of our counties Beaufort, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington,” Loope said. “I think secondly, we’ve really been able to retain our students through the work of our centralized advising center which has made a big difference for student success.”

President Loope says this record-breaking number is a result of crucial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think we made a good decision during the pandemic in using the federal money that we received to pay for tuition and fees, to keep people in school and to break down those financial barriers that would prevent them from attending school,” he said. “And so that was actually what motivated us to continue Beaufort Promise.”