It took months of additional training and testing for some Lenoir Community College staff, but passport acceptance services at the college have finally taken off.
The U.S. Department of State officially designated LCC as a Passport Acceptance Facility for first-time applicants on Jan. 1.
Before LCC’s Office of Institutional Advancement took over passport services, the only place for area residents to go was the Clerk of Superior Court’s office.
“It was just an extra thing that we were doing for the community,” Clerk of Superior Court Dawn Stroud said. “The administrative office of the court has never given us personnel to help with the processing of the passports.”
LCC administration plans to host the passport office permanently.
The basic price for an adult is $110 with a $25 processing fee; additional charges are applied for expediting services.
Members of the Institutional Advancement staff were trained beginning in April and had to pass a series of 12 tests related to passport processing in December.
Now the only walk-in passport office in Kinston, LCC took over the services for two reasons, according to Jeanne Kennedy, LCC’s Director of Institutional Advancement.
“The college is always looking for new ways to raise money for scholarships, and so we will use part of the money that we earn (for) our scholarship program,” she said, indicating only the processing fee helps fund the LCC Foundation that provides students with an overseas trip every year.
Kennedy added, “We thought that the passport business and traveling overseas would be a good connection.”
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.
BREAKOUT BOX:
Need a passport?
Apply at Lenoir Community College through the Office of Institutional Advancement
- Office of Institutional Advancement
- Hours of operation 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. , 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- Provide your own 2x2 photograph
- Office submits materials to the U.S. Department of State
- Receive passport in the mail in four to six weeks
- To renew passports, visit travel.state.gov.
Source: Lenoir Community College