Golden LEAF Community College Scholarship

The Golden LEAF Community College Scholarship is offered by the Golden LEAF Foundation to support students from qualifying North Carolina counties who demonstrate financial need. This scholarship is specifically designed for North Carolina residents who reside in rural counties that are tobacco-dependent or economically distressed. The program provides financial assistance to both curriculum students pursuing degree programs and workforce continuing education students enrolled in credential-bearing pathways. Curriculum students may receive up to $2,250 in annual aid and must be enrolled at least full-time during fall and spring semesters, or at least 6 credit hours during summer. Workforce continuing education students may receive up to $1,850 in annual aid and must be enrolled in programs of 96 hours or more that lead to state or industry-recognized credentials. All eligible students must complete the FAFSA to demonstrate financial need. The scholarship is renewable annually as long as students maintain North Carolina residency and continue to meet eligibility criteria. Recipients who initially reside in an eligible county retain eligibility even if their county status changes, provided they remain North Carolina residents. The scholarship will not displace federal grants such as Pell grants but may displace loan funds. Applications are filed with individual college financial aid offices or Workforce Continuing Education departments.