Finish First NC FAQs

Finish First NC (FFNC) is a data tool developed by Wake Technical Community College that identifies students within one semester of completing a degree, diploma or certificate, and identifies students who have already fulfilled requirements for credentials but have not been awarded them. FFNC can help your institution identify these students in a matter of minutes so you can provide enhanced proactive advising and immediately award credentials to eligible students. For students close to completion, FFNC indicates the courses a student needs to take to finish the evaluated credential. FFNC can also be used to highlight students who are expected to graduate at the end of the current semester or term, and can reveal opportunities to enhance institutional effectiveness and improve policies. For more information, visit  Why Use Finish First NC?.

Thanks to grant funding from the Lumina Foundation and the John M. Belk Endowment, in collaboration with the University of North Carolina System Office and the North Carolina Community College System Office, all 58 community colleges in North Carolina have access to a license to use Finish First NC at no cost.

FFNC requires the use of tools already utilized by colleges in the NCCCS: Microsoft Excel, Entrinsik Informer and Datatel/Colleague. Support from high-level college leadership is necessary to help ensure that FFNC serves an institution well and is implemented effectively. All FFNC colleges in the NC Community College System should plan to participate in the project evaluation for Finish First NC. For more information, visit Requirements and Expectations. 

To implement Finish First NC sustainably, the FFNC project team recommends that, at minimum, vice presidents or their assignees of Student Services, Instruction, Institutional Effectiveness and Information Technology Services prioritize involvement. Having representation from each of these areas will help ensure that FFNC is used in a way that best supports the needs of your college over time. Stakeholders involved might also include personnel in Institutional Research, Admissions/Enrollment or other interested areas. If you need help garnering support for your college’s adoption of Finish First NC, download this email/letter to send to your colleagues or college’s leadership team for their consideration.

Current FFNC users can access the FFNC User Community to find videos, guides, user conversations and other resources to help with implementation of FFNC. Access the User Community

For technical or implementation support, please contact us. 

The Finish First NC project team is measuring the impact and effectiveness of the FFNC data tool. The Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research of North Carolina State University is conducting an independent project evaluation to this end. Researchers from the Belk Center will connect with FFNC users at NCCCS colleges to gather input about the impact of and best implementation practices for Finish First NC. These best practices will be shared with FFNC users to enhance institutional practices across the state.

To inquire about using FFNC at your institution, please contact us.