How to apply

It is easier than ever to apply for scholarships from NCCF. Beginning in January 2024, we are rolling out a new NCCF Universal Scholarships Application that will help students find and apply for multiple scholarships they are eligible for using one application.

Getting ready to apply

Before you begin applying through the NCCF Universal Scholarships Application, you’ll want to pull together some key information. Review the full list of information required to complete the universal application but note key details below.

  • Email address of your school counselor. High school transcripts must be submitted through the NCCF Scholarships Portal by your school counselor. Have their email address handy to enter when you apply. College students should provide an unofficial transcript instead.
  • Email addresses of your references. Two letters of recommendation must be submitted by your references through our Scholarships Portal. Have the email addresses of those who will be providing letters of recommendation for you on hand to enter when you apply.
  • FAFSA Student Aid Index. To be considered for some NCCF scholarships, you will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.gov. Please note that FASFA is opening late for 2024, so your Student Aid Index may not be available until January or February. As long as you upload it to the Scholarships Portal by March 15, 2024, you’ll meet our deadline!

Timeline

Approximately 130 NCCF scholarships using the NCCF Universal Scholarships Application will open for 2024 applications on Jan. 16 and close on March 15. About 20 other scholarships have separate applications with different due dates. You must apply to each of those scholarships individually within our Scholarships Portal.

We encourage you to apply well before the deadline. Scholarship selection committees are not obligated to consider applications that are incomplete, do not meet the stated eligibility requirements, or are received after the posted due date.

Reviews will begin after the posted due date for the scholarship and decisions will be made through the end of May. Not all decisions are released at the same time.

Scholarship award offers will be sent via email to the email address the student used for the application. Students must complete a follow-up form to be awarded the scholarship. Award payments are made to students’ schools in July and August, assuming the required follow-up form was submitted.

Steps for applying for scholarships

  • To begin the process, create an account in the NCCF Scholarships Portal. Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome are the preferred browsers for the portal. 
  • Once you’ve created an account, you’re ready to start applying for scholarships. Click on the Opportunities link at the top right. Select the 2024-2025 NCCF Universal Scholarships Application.
  • The universal application is used by most of our scholarships and will match you to the scholarships you are eligible for once you complete some basic information. View the full list of scholarships that use our universal application.
  • Once you have completed the general questions, you will be provided a list of scholarship opportunities for which you may be eligible. Be sure to submit each one, complete any supplemental questions and provide additional information, such as letters of recommendation, if required. Note: You can save your work and return at any time but be sure to meet the firm deadlines! 
  • Complete and submit the separate NCCF Financial Need Information Form and FAFSA Student Aid Index if either or both are required. Note that the FASFA is opening late for 2024, so your Student Aid Index may not be available until January or February. As long as you upload it to our Scholarships Portal by March 15, 2024, you’ll meet our deadline!
  • But wait – there’s more! While our universal application is used by most of our scholarships, we have about 20 scholarships that have separate applications. You must apply to each of those scholarships individually within our Scholarships Portal. Review this list of scholarships. If you believe you are eligible for any of these scholarships, go to the Opportunities screen and apply for each one individually.

Questions

  • Foundant Technologies provides the software NCCF uses for our Scholarships Portal. They have instructions and tutorials that can help guide you through the process and answer your questions. They also have a video that provides a brief overview of the student experience when applying for scholarships.
  • We encourage you to review our Frequently Asked Questions for scholarship applicants to find answers to questions you may have.
  • If you have a question about a specific scholarship, please reach out to the scholarship's local contact. You may find that contact information and additional information about the scholarship you are applying for by:
    • Clicking on the link to more information from the listing of scholarships in the universal application on the Scholarships Portal.
    • Using the search bar on nccommunityfoundation.org to search for the scholarship name.
    • Using the dropdown below to search for scholarships by county.

Search all scholarships by county

Statewide Scholarships

Carolyn Grantham Ennis Scholarship Endowment

This fund provides scholarships for students at Shaw University who demonstrate Value, Valor, Versatility, Vision, and Vivacity.

See Details

Cody Blue Pilkington Scholarship Fund

Students eligible to recieve this scholarship are North Carolina residents who are entering their freshman or sophomore year to study any engineering, science or math curriculum at NC State University, are at least 18 years of age, are involved in a community service organization (preferably two), are non-smokers and substance-free, and maintain a 2.8 GPA or its equivalent should the grading scale change. 

See Details

DHS Friends Hilda Crocker Wilson Scholarship Endowment Fund

Eligible applicants must be a direct descendant of an alumnus or faculty or staff member of the former Dunn High School (direct descendants includes lawfully adopted children in the lineage), show evidence of acceptance by an accredited college, university or vocational/community college; plan to enroll in a full-time course of study in the field of Education; and have a minimum high school weighted academic GPA of 2.63. Additional selection criteria includes high school academic achievement, evidence of high moral character and good citizenship and involvement and leadership in high school activities, church and the community. 

PLEASE NOTE: The essay for this scholarship should address the following prompt: The DHS Friends Hilda Crocker Wilson Scholarship is for students who are pursuing a career in Education. Please describe your future plans in the field of Education, what drew you to Education as a career choice, and how you will use your gifts and talents in the field of Education.

See Details

DHS Friends' Butler - Baggett Endowment

Eligible applicants must be a direct descendant of an alumnus, faculty or staff member of the former Dunn High School (direct descendants includes lawfully adopted children in the lineage); and must have been accepted and plan to attend a college or university in North Carolina. Additional selection criteria includes high school academic achievement, evidence of high moral character and good citizenship and involvement and leadership in high school activities, church and the community.

See Details

DHS Friends' Dunn High School Memorial Endowment

Eligible applicants must be a direct descendant of an alumnus or faculty or staff member of the former Dunn High School (direct descendants includes lawfully adopted children in the lineage) and have plans to attend any qualifying institutions of higher learning. Additional selection criteria includes high school academic achievement, evidence of high moral character and good citizenship and involvement and leadership in high school activities, church and community.

See Details

Dr. Donald W. Bentley Memorial Scholarship Endowment

Students from North Carolina planning to study at the undergraduate or graduate level at Virginia Tech are eligible, with a preference given to a student from Watauga County.  

The scholarship will be awarded to a student who exhibits academic excellence, leadership, personal effort and good citizenship. Financial need will be considered if there are equally matched applicants, with the student with greater need being awarded the scholarship.  

Scholarships for undergraduate study are awarded annually to graduating high school seniors. Scholarships for graduate study shall be awarded to any entering or existing graduate student. 

See Details

H. Lentis and Maude Penny Sorrell Scholarship

Students from North Carolina, preferably from Harnett or Johnston Counties, enrolled in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Special preference is given to students who are interested in pulmonary medicine or another closely-related field. 

See Details

JADE Learning Electrical Technologies Scholarship

Students enrolled at North Carolina technical or occupational schools pursuing education and training in the field of electrical systems technologies, or apprentices enrolled in an approved apprenticeship program. Preference may be given to those who are pursuing a two-year associate's degree. Criteria considered by the Scholarship Committee include financial need, academic performance, references, and essay questions as described in the scholarship application.

See Details

Joseph Bergin and Elsa Flower Davies Scholarship

Students wishing to pursue a degree or training in education, teaching or nursing (special consideration may be given to students pursuing gerontology-related nursing) at an institution of higher learning located in New Hanover County, NC.

See Details

Joyce Price Johnson's Samaritan Fund

Young people exiting foster care or living in poverty in North Carolina who wish to continue their education at a college, university, community college, or other accredited institution. Primary consideration will be given to young people from Wayne County, or secondarily, from counties which are contiguous to Wayne County.

See Details

Migrant Farmworker Nursing Scholarship

Individuals residing in North Carolina seeking higher education with plans to pursue a degree in nursing, whose parent or grandparent (by birth or adoption), stepparent or step-grandparent is or has been a migrant farmworker, are eligible to apply. Students enrolled in online programs are not eligible to receive the scholarship. The scholarship is not limited to high-school graduates.

See Details

NC Alpha Delta Kappa Student Achievement Scholarship

Applicants must be a graduating senior from a high school in North Carolina pursuing a degree in a field of education at an institution of higher education. Applicant must have a GPA of 2.5 to 3.5 and an SAT score in the range of 900 to 1050. The committee will judge the applicant based on their service to school, community and church, as well as their integrity and leadership potential.

 

See Details

Peter S. Slomianyj Scholarship Fund

Subway employees or children of Subway employees who have worked at least 500 hours over the last 12 months. Students must have a 2.0 GPA in high school or a 2.5 GPA in college.

See Details

Red Oak High School Alumni Scholarship Fund

Eligible students will be high school graduates wishing to pursue their education at an institution of higher learning such as a college, university, or community college. Special consideration will be given to students with immediate family members who attended, taught at, or were employed at the former Red Oak High School of Nash County, NC. 

See Details

Robert E. Barnhill, Sr. Scholarship Fund

High-school graduate who is a North Carolina resident and is attending a college or university. Considered are leadership potential, community involvement, physical vigor, academic achievement and financial need. Special consideration is given to employees/relatives of employees of Barnhill Contracting Company. **ESSAY PROMPT: Describe an experience that has had a significant impact on your life and then explain why you are applying for the Robert E. Barnhill, Sr. Scholarship.

See Details

Scottie W. Cox Memorial Scholarship of NCCCLA

Employee of a learning resource center/library in North Carolina having at least a bachelor's degree and taking advance courses for professional development or in pursuit of a master's or doctoral degree in the library and information studies field. The courses must be offered by an accredited educational institution or other charitable organization.

See Details

Sharma Family Scholarship Fund

Eligible students must be graduating from high school in North Carolina to attend a college or university in the state of North Carolina. Preference is given to those attending North Carolina State University. If no qualified applications from incoming NCSU students are received, additional applications may be solicited. Applicants must have a high regard for obtaining an education and the courage to pursue it in spite of limited financial resources; demonstrate leadership, involvement in extra curricular activities, friendship to others, solid work ethics and a commitment to academics; have a purpose and a plan for being a productive citizen; and demonstrate a commitment to diversity, recognizing the value of all people regardless of religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or ability.

See Details

William Pretty, Jr. Scholarship Endowment

New or current students attending Shaw University and pursuing a degree in the field of business.

See Details

Can’t find an answer? Email scholarships@nccommunityfoundation.org.

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Beginning in January 2024, we are rolling out a new NCCF Universal Scholarships Application that will help students find and apply for multiple scholarships they are eligible for using one application.<\/p>\r\n<h3>Getting ready to apply<\/h3>\r\n<p>Before you begin applying through the NCCF Universal Scholarships Application, you&rsquo;ll want to pull together some key information. <a href=\"\/apply\/scholarships\/for-administrators\/standard-scholarship-application-package\">Review the full list<\/a> of information required to complete the universal application but note key details below.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Email address of your school counselor.<\/strong> High school transcripts must be submitted through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grantinterface.com\/Home\/Logon?urlkey=nccommunityfoundationscholarship\">NCCF Scholarships Portal<\/a> by your school counselor. Have their email address handy to enter when you apply. College students should provide an unofficial transcript instead.<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Email addresses of your references. <\/strong>Two letters of recommendation must be submitted by your references through our Scholarships Portal. Have the email addresses of those who will be providing letters of recommendation for you on hand to enter when you apply.<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>FAFSA Student Aid Index. <\/strong>To be considered for some NCCF scholarships, you will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at <a href=\"https:\/\/studentaid.gov\/h\/apply-for-aid\/fafsa\">fafsa.gov<\/a>. Please note that FASFA is opening late for 2024, so your Student Aid Index may not be available until January or February. As long as you upload it to the Scholarships Portal by March 15, 2024, you&rsquo;ll meet our deadline!<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Timeline<\/h3>\r\n<p>Approximately <a href=\"\/apply\/scholarships\/how-to-apply\/scholarships-using-nccfs-universal-scholarships-application\">130 NCCF scholarships using the NCCF Universal Scholarships Application<\/a> will open for 2024 applications on Jan. 16 and close on March 15. About <a href=\"\/apply\/scholarships\/how-to-apply\/other-nccf-scholarships\">20 other scholarships<\/a> have separate applications with different due dates. You must apply to each of those scholarships individually within our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grantinterface.com\/Home\/Logon?urlkey=nccommunityfoundationscholarship\">Scholarships Portal<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>We encourage you to apply well before the deadline. Scholarship selection committees are not obligated to consider applications that are incomplete, do not meet the stated eligibility requirements, or are received after the posted due date.<\/p>\r\n<p>Reviews will begin after the posted due date for the scholarship and decisions will be made through the end of May. Not all decisions are released at the same time.<\/p>\r\n<p>Scholarship award offers will be sent via email to the email address the student used for the application. Students must complete a follow-up form to be awarded the scholarship. Award payments are made to students&rsquo; schools in July and August, assuming the required follow-up form was submitted.<\/p>\r\n<h3>Steps for applying for scholarships<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>To begin the process, create an account in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grantinterface.com\/Home\/Logon?urlkey=nccommunityfoundationscholarship\">NCCF Scholarships Portal<\/a>. Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome are the preferred browsers for the portal.&nbsp;<\/li>\r\n<li>Once you&rsquo;ve created an account, you&rsquo;re ready to start applying for scholarships. Click on the Opportunities link at the top right. Select the 2024-2025 NCCF Universal Scholarships Application.<\/li>\r\n<li>The universal application is used by most of our scholarships and will match you to the scholarships you are eligible for once you complete some basic information. <a href=\"\/apply\/scholarships\/how-to-apply\/scholarships-using-nccfs-universal-scholarships-application\">View the full list<\/a> of scholarships that use our universal application.<\/li>\r\n<li>Once you have completed the general questions, you will be provided a list of scholarship opportunities for which you may be eligible. Be sure to submit each one, complete any supplemental questions and provide additional information, such as letters of recommendation, if required.&nbsp;<em>Note: You can save your work and return at any time but be sure to meet the firm deadlines!<\/em>&nbsp;<\/li>\r\n<li>Complete and submit the separate NCCF Financial Need Information Form and FAFSA Student Aid Index if either or both are required. <em>Note that the FASFA is opening late for 2024, so your Student Aid Index may not be available until January or February. As long as you upload it to our Scholarships Portal by March 15, 2024, you&rsquo;ll meet our deadline!<\/em><\/li>\r\n<li>But wait &ndash; there&rsquo;s more! While our universal application is used by most of our scholarships, we have about 20 scholarships that have separate applications. You must apply to each of those scholarships individually within our Scholarships Portal. Review <a href=\"\/apply\/scholarships\/how-to-apply\/other-nccf-scholarships\">this list<\/a>&nbsp;of scholarships. If you believe you are eligible for any of these scholarships, go to the Opportunities screen and apply for each one individually.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Questions<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Foundant Technologies provides the software NCCF uses for our Scholarships Portal. They have <a href=\"https:\/\/support.foundant.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/4520645408151-SLM-Applicant-Tutorial-Universal-Application\">instructions and tutorials<\/a> that can help guide you through the process and answer your questions. They also have a video that provides a brief overview of <a href=\"https:\/\/support.foundant.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/13090559481111-Universal-Application-Student-Experience\">the student experience when applying for scholarships<\/a>.<\/li>\r\n<li>We encourage you to review our <a href=\"\/apply\/scholarships\/how-to-apply\/frequently-asked-questions-for-scholarship-applicants\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a> for scholarship applicants to find answers to questions you may have.<\/li>\r\n<li>If you have a question about a specific scholarship, please reach out to the scholarship's local contact. You may find that contact information and additional information about the scholarship you are applying for by:\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Clicking on the link to more information from the listing of scholarships in the universal application on the Scholarships Portal.<\/li>\r\n<li>Using the search bar on nccommunityfoundation.org to search for the scholarship name.<\/li>\r\n<li>Using the dropdown below to search for scholarships by county.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","excerpt":"","media":0,"custom":{"blocks":{"blocks":[{"fieldset":"8d2e0895df77444baf2690fb407972d5","fieldset_slug":"_button_block","button1_text":"APPLY NOW","button1_link":"https:\/\/www.grantinterface.com\/Home\/Logon?urlkey=nccommunityfoundationscholarship","button2_text":"","button2_link":"","button3_text":"","button3_link":""},{"fieldset":"319fa2ab33b04f0d8fcad64553fb94d6","fieldset_slug":"_footnote","content":"<p><strong>Can&rsquo;t find an answer?<\/strong> Email&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:scholarships@nccommunityfoundation.org\">scholarships@nccommunityfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p>"}]},"masthead":{"title":"","counties":"","affiliate_logo":"","sub_text":"","background_image":"","caption":""},"latest_blog":{"post":""},"social_sharing":{"share_image":""},"the_latest":{"show_latest_posts_by":""}},"inMenu":false,"visibleTo":"Everyone","publishedAt":1533149280,"orderChildrenBy":"ordinal","enableComments":false,"permission":"read","id":"c57f62f8b7b8487289449e0844e721d2","parent":"49a35634c36c4409b23b27c32b3d047d","node":111534,"created":1533149280,"modified":1704494131,"fresh":1,"type":"page","children":{},"relations":{}}