No fees for applying to NC college this week. Here's how students can take advantage

This week, only North Carolina students can apply to colleges here for free.

It's a part of College Application Week, which opened Monday at 7:30 a.m. It ends at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26.

For students who weren't thinking about applying to college just yet, a lot of scholarship applications close later this fall, said Patti Harris, senior director for student access initiatives with the University of North Carolina System. So she says it's good to apply early to be considered for those.

It's also good to apply early so students have more time to decide where to enroll, she said.

"We really want students to take advantage of this opportunity, so that when they are thinking about which place to actually enroll... they have more time to do that."

Harris said students should talk to a school counselor for more advice on applying and what to consider studying, which could influence which colleges to apply to.

Students must apply by creating a College for North Carolina account and then filling out an application.

They should also create an account with a personal email address, not a school email address that won't work once they graduate.

Students should not forget to click the box that directly submits their high school transcript to the college, Harris said. The system is set up for access between North Carolina's colleges and high schools.

The list of schools participating is also on the College for North Carolina website.

Nearly all public universities are participating, and all public community colleges always have free applications. Numerous private universities are participating, as well.

CORRECTION: Not all public universities are participating. A previous version of this article incorrectly states how many were participating.