Recognitions & Celebrations
ASCA School Counselor of the Year Finalist
We are NC proud and congratulate Annie Goldberg, who has been recognized as a School Counselor of the Year Finalist by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA)! Annie is a middle school counselor at Broadview Middle School in Alamance Burlington School System. Annie serves NCSCA as the Vice President for the Piedmont Triad Region/District 5 and Government Relations Chair as well as on the governor's advisory committee for student safety and well-being. The final selection for ASCA SCOY will be February 2026 during National School Counseling Week--let's cheer Annie on!
National Bullying Prevention Month
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, when individuals, families, educators and communities unite in efforts to combat bullying and promote kindness and acceptance. The signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month is Unity Day, October 22nd, which encourages individuals and communities to come together to promote kindness and courage. Wear orange on Unity Day. Join the Center for Safer Schools webinar October 15th, "Kindness is Everything" and check out resources from the National Bullying Prevention Center.
National Principals Month
During National Principals Month, we extend our heartfelt thanks for your leadership and partnership. Your ongoing support and collaboration empower school counselors to do their best work for students each day. Thank you for leading with vision, compassion, and commitment to student success!
Policy, Practice & Legislative Updates
2026-2027 FAFSA Released
The 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form opened on Sept. 24 and will be open until June 30, 2027. For priority consideration, submit your FAFSA form by June 1, 2026 for UNC System institutions, by Aug. 15, 2026 for North Carolina community colleges, and as soon as possible for private institutions, according to studentaid.gov.
Completing the form makes current and prospective college students eligible for need-based financial aid including federal Pell Grants, work-study programs, and student loans. Beginning in July 2026, Pell Grants can also be used to cover tuition, fees, and other expenses for short-term workforce training programs. In North Carolina, submitting the FAFSA is a prerequisite for receiving the Next NC Scholarship, which covers full tuition and fees for all North Carolina community colleges and more than half the cost for public universities for most families making $80,000 a year or less.
College Application Week
Many North Carolina colleges and universities are waiving their application fees from October 20, 7:30 a.m. to October 26, 5 p.m. Other colleges and universities may also accept special fee waivers through ACT, SAT, or NACAC.
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Toolkit materials including helpful handouts about the college application process and financial aid opportunities for students and parents.
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NC Career Course Planner Released
Help your students map their high school journey with the new Course Planner tool on NCcareers.org. The current course data was pulled from Infinite Campus (IC) early August and will be updated soon to ensure the most accurate listings. Learn more and get started: Course Planner FAQ
Career Development Plans
Visit the career development plan website to review our updated guidance document, planning tool and the 2025-2026 office hours (see dates below).
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Friday, October 17, 2025, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
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Friday, November 21, 2025, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
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Monday, December 15, 2025, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
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Friday, January 23, 2026, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
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Friday, February 20, 2026, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
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Monday, March 16, 2026, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
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Friday, April 17, 2026, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
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Monday, May 4, 2026, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
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Monday, June 1, 2026, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Strategic Plan and Regional Tour
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and the State Board of Education (SBE) developed a bold strategic plan: Achieving Educational Excellence. The five-year plan aims to position North Carolina's public schools as the best in the United States by 2030, and it is the first joint plan between the SBE and the state superintendent. Here is a summary document with the plan highlights.
Join us for a public forum in each of the eight education regions. The evening event will include a program about the strategic plan by Superintendent Green. Click the date links below for more information for your region. If you are unable to attend the events in person, there will be a virtual option in November.
- Piedmont-Triad - Greensboro, Guilford County: Thursday, October 16
- Southwest - Charlotte, Mecklenburg County: Monday, October 20
- Northwest - Morganton, Burke County: Wednesday, October 22
- Western - Bryson City, Swain County: Thursday, October 23
- North Central - Chapel Hill, Orange County: Wednesday, October 29
- Virtual - Zoom: Tuesday, November 3, 5:30 - 6:30 pm
ASCA National Model Update
The fifth edition of “The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs” is the next step in the journey of the school counseling profession. The fifth edition of the ASCA National Model provides a continued focus on success for each and every student and introduces a greater focus on achievement, with attendance and discipline data recognized as contributing factors to academic performance. Learn about specific changes to the ASCA National Model, fifth edition and how this will impact your work as a data-informed school counselor. See resource section to download the copy of the fifth edition.
Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities
Countdown To College Webinars
Join us for our virtual professional development trainings where all education professionals — school counselors, teachers, administrators, college admissions professionals, financial aid advisors, and others — are welcome. Topics include all aspects of the college going process. Continuing Education Units (CEU) are available; certificates will be sent out to each attendee after the scheduled webinar for a recommended 0.1 CEU. Ten webinars equal 1.0 CEU. For more details click here and register for an upcoming webinar.
- October 14, 2025: Giving Your Students the Tools to Complete College Applications
- October 28, 2025: CFNC FAFSA Tools for Counselors
- November 4, 2025: Step-by-Step Guide on the Newly Released FAFSA
- November 13, 2025: Helping Middle Income Families Pay for College
- November 20, 2025: How to Help Families Maximize Their Military Benefits
- December 2, 2025: Next Step – Get Ready for January
Rural School Counseling Webinar Series
Join us for a virtual professional development series designed for North Carolina’s rural school counselors. In partnership with higher education professionals, each session offers practical strategies and fresh ideas to support your work. Click here for more details.
NACDRAO 100th Anniversary Celebration
National Association of College Deans, Registrars, and Admissions Officers (NACDRAO) will host the following events on the campus of Bennett College and North Carolina A & T State University. Please see flyer for more event information and how register.
Counselor Forum: Tuesday, November 11th on the campus of Bennett College from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm.
HBCU College & Career Fair: Thursday, November 13th, Hayes-Taylor YMCA, 2630 E. Florida St, Greensboro, NC 27401 from 9:00 am – 12 pm
CTE Lunch & Learn Series
Join us for an engaging Lunch & Learn series designed for school counselors, career development coordinators, and special populations coordinators. Each session will spotlight topics, tools, and best practices enhance career and postsecondary readiness support for students. Click here to register and attend the sessions.
NCSCA October Webinar & State Conference
Join us for our October 15th webinar: Understanding Student with Misophonia and our state conference November 6-8, 2025 with this year's theme "Plug into Your Power" —a premier event for learning, networking, and celebrating the school counseling profession! Click here to register for each event.
Healthcare Career Readiness Summit
This is a collaborative convening designed to strengthen the pipeline from high school to healthcare careers in WNC. This summit will provide valuable insights for school counselors (middle and high school counselors), career development coordinators, CTE leaders, and educators supporting students who are exploring healthcare career pathways. Employers and college program leads will share practical insights about healthcare career readiness and the regional labor force needs. Register here (open until October 15).
Participants will:
- Learn about health science pathways in WNC community colleges and universities.
- Hear directly from healthcare employers about workforce needs.
- Explore admissions and financial aid options to support students.
Event Options (choose the location most convenient for you):
- Asheville (MAHEC Education Center): October 27, 2025 | 10AM – 2PM
- Macon County Community Center: November 6, 2025 | 10AM – 2PM
ASCA Webinars and Office Hours
American School Counseling Assocation is offering a variety of live webinars and office hours this fall to support your comprehensive work as school counselors. September and October sessions include topics designed to strengthen practice. View the full schedule and see more detail for registration here.
- October 15th, Applying for RAMP/5th Edition, 1-2pm
- October 28th, Promote Student Well-being with the ASCA Student Standards, 12-1pm
- October 28th, Fall Advocacy Briefing, 3-4pm
Leading with Character Summit
This event will bring together educators and leaders to explore the 11 Principles of Character Education, hear inspiring success stories from State and National Schools of Character, and discover practical strategies for strengthening school climate and culture. November 3rd, 9-4pm Click here to register.
SHAC Learning Collaborative
NC Healthy Schools hosts monthly opportunities for a SHAC Learning Collaborative. These monthly meetings are the last Monday of each month at 3:00pm (unless scheduled otherwise, due to holidays, etc.) and are open to all SHAC representatives (or those considering joining a SHAC) to come learn more about what other PSUs are doing, hear about various resources, and share about your activities.
These meetings will primarily focus on SHACs and the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model. There will be opportunities to discuss general questions, e.g., building the team, partnerships, use of data, action planning, and questions relevant to your WSCC efforts. Meeting link for monthly meetings.
NCDPI AI Summit
Artificial intelligence is reshaping every corner of the world, including how we teach, learn and lead in education. At the AI Summit, a free event hosted by NCDPI and sponsored by OpenAI, we will explore how AI can empower North Carolina’s public schools and ensure students are prepared for the future.
The Summit will bring together state leaders, district teams and national partners to examine the opportunities and challenges of AI in K–12 education.
The AI Summit is Oct. 22 in Raleigh. Learn more and register here.
Resources
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