Central Piedmont Community College has released its 202425 Annual Report, highlighting a year of record-setting enrollment, expanded student opportunities, and a deeper regional workforce impact. With over 33,000 students enrolled during the spring term, the largest in its history, the college continues to serve as the educational and economic engine.

"This wasn't just a record-breaking year it was a transformational one," said Central Piedmont President Dr. Kandi W. Deitemeyer. "We are meeting urgent workforce needs while giving thousands of students a pathway to a better future. This impact is only possible because of the trust, investment, and partnership of our community, and we look forward to how we will continue to create more opportunities for students in the year ahead."

With research indicating more than 150 people are moving to the region per day, Central Piedmont continues to expand access and accelerate training in sectors vital to the region's future. The college provided more than $4.2 million in scholarships to nearly 2,500 students, the most in a single year, removing barriers to higher education for thousands of individuals and families.

Why it matters

The region's unprecedented population growth demands more from its educational and workforce institutions. Central Piedmont is meeting this challenge head-on, scaling programs, facilities, and student support to ensure upward mobility and talent readiness keep pace with the region's economic expansion.

Students like Rachael, a former aerial artist now preparing for a career in fire protection; Tiffany, a mother working toward a degree in social work; and Eugene, an alum who returned to the college as an academic advisor to help new students find purpose and opportunity, reflect the diverse aspirations and real-world outcomes behind the numbers.

Expanding capacity to serve

To meet the region's evolving workforce needs, the college launched a new associate's degree in artificial intelligence (AI) and expanded healthcare training through a $500,000 grant that enabled the development of new radiography and X-ray programs. The college also announced the Community Lifeline, a public safety training complex that will strengthen emergency response across the region.

"Central Piedmont belongs to this community -- it reflects its hopes, its determination, and its future," Deitemeyer said. "Our students will go on to serve as the region's nurses, coders, electricians, and entrepreneurs. Through education, we are changing lives and strengthening the economic vitality of the region."

Additional highlights include:

• the opening of a student Campus Wellness Center
• record participation in the employee giving campaign up 23%
• $315,000 raised for U.S. military veterans and first responders through the college's annual Sporting Clays Classic.

Access the full report.

Central Piedmont Community College is pleased to announce a new alliance with Arizona State University to provide students a seamless transfer experience with the MyPath2ASU® program. MyPath2ASU allows students to take the steps needed at the start of their college experience to successfully plan their transfer to ASU. This new agreement will help ensure a smooth transition process and student success.

MyPath2ASU is a set of customized tools available to transfer students from accredited, U.S. regional institutions. These tools ensure a seamless transfer experience to ASU after earning credits or an associate degree from a U.S. community college or university, and shortening the time to degree completion.

"At Central Piedmont, we are committed to building pathways that empower our students to pursue their educational goals with confidence and clarity," said Dr. Heather Hill, provost of Central Piedmont Community College. "This partnership with Arizona State University reinforces our focus on removing barriers, minimizing credit loss, and providing our students with a clearer, faster route to a bachelor's degree. Collaborations like this are essential to advancing student success and supporting our region's economic and social mobility."

Through this new partnership, students using MyPath2ASU will find their transfer experience simplified. Key benefits of the program include:

• Personalized guidance through over 400 course-by-course guided pathways to ASU online and in-person degree programs, ensuring that Central Piedmont Community College coursework aligns with their desired ASU major and minimizes credit loss.
• Guaranteed general admission to ASU and admission into MyPath2ASU major choice if all requirements are satisfied.
• Self-service, degree progress tracking to help students stay informed about their academic progress.
• A connected experience with ASU through personalized communications that support academic growth and community engagement.

ASU and Central Piedmont Community College will continuously collaborate to refine the over 400 course-by-course pathways offered in the MyPath2ASU tool. This ongoing partnership ensures that these pathways provide students with clear guidance on course selection and align with the latest academic standards and requirements.

Some of the in-demand pathways offered through the new partnership include:

• Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) for Nursing
• Interdisciplinary Studies, BA
• Liberal Studies, BA
• Organizational Leadership, BA

ASU and Central Piedmont Community College will work to promote educational degree pathways containing on-campus and online course offerings. The courses listed on these pathways are applicable toward a student's intended bachelor's degree at ASU and therefore help minimize potential credit loss.

As part of the new partnership, nursing students pursuing an associate degree can advance toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) through Arizona State University's Concurrent Enrollment Program. This program enables eligible students to earn their associate degree in nursing (ADN) at Central Piedmont Community College while simultaneously completing their BSN online through ASU.

To see how the MyPath2ASU program works and to get started, visit ASU's website.

Central Piedmont Community College shared today the college provided $4.2 million in scholarships to 2,451 students in fiscal year 2025, marking the first time in the college's history that annual scholarship disbursements have crossed the $4 million milestone. 

The increase of over $1.2 million from the previous fiscal year underscores the college's unwavering commitment to expanding access to education and empowering students across the region. On average, scholarship recipients received nearly $1,750 each, compared to just over $1,000 last year. 

"Behind every scholarship is a student striving for a better future and a donor who made it possible," said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, president of Central Piedmont. "Crossing the $4 million mark in scholarships reflects the generosity and vision of our donors, and it means more students are gaining the education they need to transform their lives and contribute meaningfully to our community." 

Generous donors to the Central Piedmont Community College Foundation have provided critical funding to support students through a broad array of scholarship programs. Last year, donor gifts allowed the college to establish new scholarships in areas directly aligned to workforce development needs, such as business, construction, early childhood education, and skilled trades. Donors also added funds to focused scholarships Duke Energy expanded its scholarship for the line worker program and several donors enhanced scholarship support for U.S. military veteran students. 

Together, these programs, and many others funded by corporate, foundation, and individual donors, have enabled Central Piedmont students to pursue certificates, diplomas, or degrees with far less financial burden. 

A milestone for student opportunity 

Among the students who have benefited include Jae Taylor, who received the Merancas Technical Career Scholarship, which supports students in hands-on fields that lead directly to the workforce. Jae is an emergency medical sciences student who has the opportunity to train alongside Mecklenburg County first responders while pursuing a degree. 

Itala Flores, who graduated in the spring with an associate degree in fine arts, received the Levine Scholarship, the Kappy McClenaghan Scholarship, and the Board of Trustees Endowed Scholarship, while also being a member of the Truist Honors Program. 

"The budget has been a challenge, but Central Piedmont never let me go down," Flores said. "Even at the last minute, Central Piedmont always helped me with a scholarship, and that was a blessing." 

Honoring Duke Energy's expanded commitment  

Duke Energy has been a longstanding supporter of the college. In 2022, the Duke Energy Foundation provided a startup grant of $500,000 to the college's utility line worker program and made an additional $48,000 grant in 2023 to continue its support of the program. Earlier in 2025, the company's foundation provided a grant of $21,000 as part of the Duke Energy Vibrant Student Engineers program to support the purchase of five process control simulators at the college. 

That support carries forward as the Duke Energy Foundation increased its scholarship contributions for students in the line worker program by $25,000 in honor of former executive Julie Janson's retirement in mid-2025. 

Janson selected to direct the funds to Central Piedmont as the charitable organization of her choice upon her retirement and noted the importance of investing in the future generation of line workers and energy professionals in the local community. 

Scholarship access and application process 

Central Piedmont's scholarship portal opened Sept. 1 for students to apply for aid in the spring and summer 2026 terms. Scholarships are provided on a rolling basis and the college encourages students to apply as early as possible.  

Additional information about financial aid and scholarships is available on the Central Piedmont website.