Golden LEAF Colleges and Universities Scholarship

The Golden LEAF Colleges and Universities Scholarship is a need-based scholarship program for students from rural North Carolina counties. This scholarship supports graduating North Carolina high school seniors and current community college transfer students who plan to enroll as full-time degree-seeking students at eligible North Carolina colleges and universities. The program is funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation and aims to provide financial assistance to students from economically distressed rural counties. The scholarship provides $14,000 in total funding, distributed as $3,500 per school year over four years. Recipients must be residents of eligible rural counties as designated by the Golden LEAF Foundation, demonstrate financial need through the FAFSA process with a Student Aid Index (SAI) not exceeding $15,000, and meet academic requirements including maintaining a cumulative GPA. The scholarship is designed to help reduce financial barriers for students from rural areas of North Carolina seeking higher education. This opportunity is administered through the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) and is part of a broader effort to support educational access and economic development in rural North Carolina communities. Students must apply by the March 1 deadline each year and meet all residency, financial need, and academic eligibility criteria to be considered for this scholarship.