Golden LEAF Community College Scholarship

Student General Eligibility Requirements 

Eligible students must:

• Be a North Carolina resident
• Demonstrate financial need 
• Reside in a rural county that is tobacco dependent, or economically distressed, as determined by the Golden LEAF Foundation. A scholarship recipient who resides in an eligible county upon initial award will retain eligibility and may be eligible for a renewal award as long as the student’s place of residence is within the state of North Carolina.

Eligible students may receive an award each year. Financial aid offices will determine their application procedures for making awards for subsequent terms. Selected students will be required to disclose all financial aid awards as dictated by college financial aid offices for award packaging. Golden LEAF Scholarships will not displace federal grants, e.g., Pell grants, for which the student may be eligible (may displace loan funds).

 

Curriculum Student Selection Criteria   

Eligible students must: 

• Be enrolled at least full-time for fall and spring; Summer school students must be enrolled at least 6 credit hours. Grants for less-than-full-time students should be prorated based on hours of enrollment and pending availability of funds. Colleges should determine reasonable proration award amounts.
• Demonstrate financial need as determined by completion of the FAFSA.
• Be a resident of North Carolina.
• Reside in a rural county that is tobacco dependent, or economically distressed, as determined by the Golden LEAF Foundation (Please check with your financial aid office for Qualifying Counties 2024-2025).   

 

Workforce Continuing Education Student Eligibility  

Eligible students must: 

• Be a resident of North Carolina. 
• Reside in a qualifying Golden LEAF County.  
• Be enrolled or enrolling in Workforce Continuing Education (WCE) pathways/courses offered for 96 hours or more and leading to a State or industry-recognized credential. 

 

Application Process

• The System Office will promote and market the scholarship among the local community colleges to help the students understand and recognize the mission of Golden LEAF. A marketing and publicity plan approved by the Foundation will include the scholarship notification letter sent to each scholar.
• Students will complete the Golden LEAF Community College application for the targeted academic year. Applications will be filed with the college financial aid offices or Workforce Continuing Education departments. 
• Timing for the selection process is determined by the award policies and procedures of each college. Financial aid offices will work with Workforce Continuing Education departments to determine the awards periods for those students.
• Applicants bear full responsibility for completing the Golden LEAF application prior to each deadline.   
• Financial aid offices will provide a list of selected recipients including name, amount, address, county, email, and program of study to the System Office as requested for reporting purposes.