More than 100,000 North Carolina public high school seniors have a spot in college next year.

The North Carolina College Connect program this week announced that North Carolina colleges had offered admission to every public high school senior on track to graduate with a diploma next spring.

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About 67,000 of those seniors — about 64% of all high school seniors — were offered a spot at at least one four-year college in the state.

Seniors and their parents can find out about their offers by logging into their NC College Connect accounts. They should also receive offers in the mail.

NC College Connect's automatic admissions program launched in 2024, but last fall was the first time it didn't require students to fill out applications. It offers a spot to any student who meets admissions criteria at most public and many private universities.

The idea, originally conceived by the University of North Carolina System, is intended to show more students what opportunities are available after high school and make the college application process easier.

North Carolina has bucked the national trend of declining college enrollment in recent years. The trend has coincided with rising college costs nationally and booming student loan debt and defaults. On Thursday, the UNC System announced overall enrollment is up again this fall, though five institutions experienced enrollment declines.

Anyone who is on track to graduate, regardless of grade-point average, was offered a spot at their local North Carolina community college through the NC College Connect program this fall. Four-year opportunities require students to have at least a 2.8 weighted GPA and to be enrolled in — and later pass — a fourth-level math course, according to the UNC System.

Not every college or university participates, but all 58 North Carolina community colleges, 29 private colleges and 11 University of North Carolina System universities do.

Among those that don't participate are the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T University, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Duke University and Elon University.

Students could still be admitted to other colleges in the state later this fall after applying.

To remain eligible for their college offers, students must continue to meet the admissions requirements for each school. Eligibility varies by college.

Students who receive offers must complete a short form for each college they want to continue pursuing, according to College for North Carolina. Completing the form, or claiming a spot, does not enroll a student at the school. The forms are often free but could cost between $20 and $75 at some schools.

Each college will have a different deadline for students to accept an offer and enroll.

Students will still need to apply separately for merit-based scholarships, financial aid and other programs they may want to participate in, such as honors programs.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction encourages students to talk with a school counselor for help researching their options and understanding what they need to do next to enroll and plan financially.