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GREENSBORO — Derrick Siler spent the hot afternoon running from building to building at GTCC, getting ready for his first semester of college. Among those stops was a visit to the financial aid office.

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"Right now, I'll definitely need the financial aid," Siler said. The 21-year-old lives on his own and waits tables. Without grants, scholarships or loans, he will not be able to afford school.

The N.C. Center for Public Policy and Research believes the state should do more to improve financial aid for community college students such as Siler. The nonpartisan think tank released a study this month that suggests the General Assembly increase grant funding to students and increase funding for child care grant programs. The center also recommends community colleges develop default management initiatives so that they can participate in federal student loan programs.

The study found that 57 percent of the almost 270,000 students enrolled in state community colleges receive some form of financial aid. However, only 23 of the 58 colleges offer access to all of the need-based, low-interest loan programs offered by the federal government, unlike the state's public universities.

"It's time for the legislature to pay more attention to community college financial aid as a state policy area," said Sam Watts, the study's author.

Tuition and fees for community college are about $1,344 for a 16-credit-hour semester. But when basic living and transportation costs are factored in, the N.C. Community College System estimates students pay as much as $15,600.

Watts said those costs can place even community college out of reach for students without additional financial aid options.

Community colleges are apprehensive about taking part in the loan program because if students fail to pay back the loans and the school's default rate reaches 25 percent for three years in a row, federal funding is cut for aid programs such as the Pell Grant, which a large number of community college students receive.

Watts notes that no North Carolina school has reached that level and that most hover around a five percent default rate.

GTCC President Don Cameron said his college participates in the federal loan program because much of the aid his students receive covers only the academic costs.

"We find that a lot of our students do qualify for Pell Grants," he said. "It does pay for tuition and books but they have additional needs."

About 13 percent of the 1,600 students enrolled at GTCC during the 2006-07 academic year took out a student loan. The school awarded about $22 million in financial aid to more than 40 percent of the student body. Of that, about 32 percent received a Pell Grant.

"Our demand outstrips our capacity right now," Cameron said.

Piper Gartner, 23, is in her third semester at GTCC studying cosmetology. She received more than $4,000 in a Pell Grant that covers tuition, books and then some.

"I cried when I found out I didn't have to pay anything and wouldn't have to pay anyone back," she said.

Without the grants, she said, going to school and waiting tables would be hard. Gartner said she would have taken out a loan, but it was something she wanted to avoid.

Helping students avoid debt is the main reason Rockingham Community College does not participate in the federal loan program.

"We felt it was a disservice to students," said RCC President Robert Keys. Keys argues the student loan program is set up for four-year university students who will enter higher- paying jobs. "They really were not designed or intended for community college students."

Keys said the school periodically reviews the decision but sees no change in the near future.

Sarah Truitt, 26, of Reidsville, is having trouble getting financial aid. The married mom of two applied but received a letter saying she might not be eligible because of her husband's income. Truitt's next step was to apply for institutional scholarships at RCC. She is still waiting to hear if she will receive any.

"If I don't get a scholarship, I'll just have to pay for it on my own," she said.

She said she would prefer dipping into her savings or paying out of pocket to taking out a student loan.

Nearly 700 RCC students received a Pell Grant, about 32 percent of the student body. Nearly half the student body receives some form of financial aid, according to the school.

Paying for day care while mom or dad is in school is another roadblock for many community college students, Watts said. The center recommends the state increase funding for child care programs, offered at both RCC and GTCC, to remove that roadblock.

With a five-star state rating, the RCC Child Development Center is one of the best child care programs in the county and a valuable resource for students such as Kayla Cary. The day care enrollment cost for Cary's 2-year-old twins is covered by a grant.

Without it, "there would have been no way I could have gone back to school," she said.

Staff Writer Jonnelle Davis contributed to this report.

Contact J. Brian Ewing at 373-7351 or brian.ewing@news-record.com