Advise NC at Appalachian State University is committed to supporting high school students throughout western North Carolina as they plan for their postsecondary pathways, including college enrollment, workforce employment, and military enlistment. By providing high-quality advising, the program works to ensure that all students are equipped to pursue the postsecondary pathway of their choosing and reach their highest potential.
Advise NC was established in 2025 as a statewide collective composed of high-quality and long-standing advising programs housed at Appalachian State University, NC State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Near-Peer Model
Next Step Advisers connect with the students they serve through their own lived experiences. Advisers are recent college graduates and are closer in age, or "near-peer," to the students they serve. Many Next Step Advisers return to their home communities to serve, often within the high schools or districts they attended as students. Because they recently embarked on their own post-high school journeys, they can serve as trusted mentors and provide first-hand knowledge of the postsecondary planning process to their students.
Adviser Services
Meet with all seniors one-on-one at least once during the fall semester and once during the spring semester
Engage with all senior families at least once during the school year
Assist all seniors with Next Steps Plan creation
Support seniors with Next Steps Plan progress, including:
College applications
Scholarship Applications
FAFSA Assistance
Military enlistment
Workforce entry
Facilitate 9-12th grade group interactions
Next Step Adviser Benefits
$38,000 living allowance (11-month contract)
Partner school schedule (off during school holidays)
AmeriCorps Membership
Qualifying educational loan forbearance
Childcare allowance
for qualifying members and dependent children
Health benefits
100% employer-covered, including vision and dental
Become an Adviser
Advisers develop leadership, work, and life skills as they interact with K-12, higher education, and community-based organizations, developing knowledge and forging connections that will benefit them in their next step, whether that is a career or graduate school.