Golden LEAF Scholarship Program
Scholarship Sponsored by Golden LEAF Foundation
Overview
The Golden LEAF Colleges & Universities Scholarship supports current North Carolina high school seniors and students transferring from North Carolina community colleges who come from designated rural counties. Awards are made possible by a Golden LEAF Foundation grant to the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority. Eligible recipients must be North Carolina residents for tuition purposes, plan to enroll full-time at a participating North Carolina public or private college/university, show financial need, and indicate an intention to return to a rural North Carolina community after graduation.
Who is eligible
- Be a North Carolina resident for tuition purposes and live in one of the rural counties designated by the Golden LEAF Foundation. (Applicants must complete residency verification through the North Carolina Residency Determination Service.)
- Be either:
- A graduating high school senior in North Carolina, or
- A currently enrolled North Carolina community college student planning to transfer and enroll full-time (degree-seeking) in the fall at a participating NC college or university.
- Hold a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5.
- Demonstrate financial need; the FAFSA Student Aid Index (SAI) must be $15,000 or less.
- Express a plan to return to and work in a rural North Carolina community after earning the college degree.
Application requirements
- Complete and submit the Golden LEAF Colleges & Universities electronic application in full.
- Provide an electronic copy of your academic transcript that includes final grades for the most recent fall semester.
- File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the applicable academic year.
Award amounts and duration
- High school seniors: $3,500 per year for up to four years.
- Community college transfer students: $3,500 per year for up to three years.
- Students who have previously attended college (other than dual enrollment while in high school) are not eligible.
Renewal criteria
To be considered for continued funding each year, recipients must:
- Submit a Renewal Profile and a current FAFSA annually.
- Continue to demonstrate financial need.
- Remain enrolled full-time and be degree-seeking at a participating North Carolina public or private institution.
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress as defined by the program/institution.
Additional opportunities
Visit the Golden LEAF Scholarship website for information about leadership development and internship opportunities available to awardees.