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
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
Visit the CFNC.org scholarship page here and fill out the Golden LEAF Colleges and Universities application form or call 1-800-700-1775, or email [email protected].
Important Dates
January 2026
Application opens.
March 1, 2026
Deadline to submit application, transcript, and FAFSA.
Early May
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.