Colleges and Universities

This Golden LEAF Scholarship is open to high school seniors and community college transfer students who reside in a qualifying rural, economically distressed North Carolina county and are planning to enroll full-time in a participating public or private college or university located in North Carolina.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Be a North Carolina resident for tuition purposes
  • Reside in a qualifying rural North Carolina county
  • Be a graduating North Carolina high school senior or a currently enrolled North Carolina community college transfer student enrolling full-time in the fall
  • Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
  • Plan to enroll in a participating North Carolina public or private college/university
  • Have a Student Aid Index (SAI) of 15000 or less as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • Be able to communicate a commitment to returning to a rural North Carolina county after graduation from college

Qualifying Counties

Clay

Participating Colleges

  • Appalachian State University
  • Barton College
  • Belmont Abbey College
  • Bennett College
  • Brevard College
  • Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
  • Campbell University
  • Carolinas College of Health Sciences
  • Catawba College
  • Chowan University
  • College at Southeastern
  • Davidson College
  • Duke University
  • East Carolina University
  • Elizabeth City State University
  • Elon University
  • Fayetteville State University
  • Gardner-Webb University
  • Greensboro College
  • Guilford College
  • High Point University
  • Johnson C. Smith University
  • Johnson & Wales University
  • Lees-McRae College
  • Lenoir-Rhyne University
  • Livingstone College
  • Louisburg College
  • Mars Hill College
  • Mercy School of Nursing
  • Meredith College
  • Methodist University
  • Mid-Atlantic Christian University
  • Montreat College
  • North Carolina A&T State University
  • North Carolina Central University
  • North Carolina State University
  • North Carolina State Univ. – Agricultural Institute
  • North Carolina Wesleyan University
  • Pfeiffer University
  • Queens University of Charlotte
  • St. Andrews University
  • St. Augustine’s University
  • Salem College
  • Shaw University
  • University of Mount Olive
  • University of North Carolina at Asheville
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • University of North Carolina at Charlotte
  • University of North Carolina at Greensboro
  • University of North Carolina at Pembroke
  • University of North Carolina at Wilmington
  • University of North Carolina School of the Arts
  • Wake Forest University
  • Warren Wilson College
  • Western Carolina University
  • William Peace University
  • Wingate University
  • Winston-Salem State University
  •  

Award Amount

High school seniors entering college as first-year students are eligible for a four-year scholarship totaling up to

($3,500 a year for up to 4 years).
$ 0

Community College transfer students are eligible for a three-year scholarship totaling

(a year for up to 3 years).
$ 0

How to Apply

Important Dates

January 6, 2025

Application opens.

March 1, 2025

Deadline to submit application, transcript, and FAFSA.

Early May 2025

Applicants will be notified of award status.

Fit Quiz

Are you a fit for the Golden LEAF Colleges and Universities Scholarship? 

Take the quiz to find out.

Colleges and Universities Scholarship Fit Quiz

Are you a fit for the Golden LEAF Colleges and Universities Scholarship?
Take the quiz to find out.

This quiz is intended to provide information that would be helpful for a student assessing whether or not to apply for the Golden LEAF Colleges and Universities Scholarship. Submitted applications will be processed and reviewed by the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA). NCSEAA administers the Golden LEAF Scholarship on behalf of the Golden LEAF Foundation.

Each year, we receive more Golden LEAF Colleges and University Scholarship applications than we are able to award.