Applications for Four-Year Golden LEAF Scholarship due March 1, 2020

Applications for Four-Year Golden LEAF Scholarship due March 1, 2020

Scholarships to help 215 rural NC high school seniors, community college transfer students attend NC colleges, universities

Golden LEAF Scholarship information and applications for 2020-21 are available at CFNC.org/goldenleaf. A total of 215 awards will be offered to first-time recipients from qualifying counties for the 2020-21 academic year. Applications are due March 1, 2020.

The awards are valued at $12,000 ($3,000 per year for up to four years) for high school seniors attending a participating four-year North Carolina college or university in the fall. Community college transfer students can receive $3,000 per year for up to three years for attending a participating college or university.

Recipients are selected based upon multiple factors including the ability to effectively communicate a desire to return after graduation to a rural county that is economically distressed. Applicants must also fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and demonstrate financial need as determined by the application process; have a GPA of no less than 3.0; and be a resident of a rural county that is economically distressed and/or tobacco dependent. Click here for the full list of eligible counties.

“For 20 years, the Golden LEAF Scholarship program has helped rural students attend the state’s colleges and universities,” said Golden LEAF President Scott T. Hamilton. “There is truly no better investment in rural communities than creating a future generation of skilled, educated workers to come back home to live, work and raise families.”

For over two decades, the Golden LEAF Scholarship Program has provided $31.6 million in scholarships to help 5,400 rural students attend North Carolina’s four-year colleges and universities.

The scholarship program is funded through a Golden LEAF grant to the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority, which administers the program. A complete list of program requirements, participating campuses and qualifying counties can be viewed at CFNC.org/goldenleaf. Contact the College Foundation of North Carolina toll-free at 866-866-CFNC, for more information.

Scholarship recipients also may apply for the Golden LEAF Scholars Leadership Program. This program, offered through the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro provides leadership-building seminars, a summer internship and a stipend.

Students completing all four years of the leadership program can receive up to $8,830 in stipends in addition to the Golden LEAF Scholarship award. Click here for more information on the Golden LEAF Scholars Leadership Program.

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