Welcome Seniors! Looking to start off your senior year with scholarship information? Look below!

Scholarship Newsletter - This newsletter includes all scholarships shared directly with Student Services. It is updated frequently so check this resource out first! If you have questions, contact your counselor!

Seniors - we want to celebrate YOU! Please fill out the Scholarship Reporting Form (available in the Spring!) with all your awards and scholarships, so we can celebrate with you at Senior Awards Night on June 4th. The form must be completed, and you must provide the financial aid letter on college/ organization letterhead to have the amount shared. 

There are several types of financial aid students and parents can pursue in order to pay for college. These include: scholarships, grants, loans, work-study, entitlement programs, and employment. All types of financial aid come from various sources that include the federal government, local clubs, civic organizations, as well as colleges and universities.

Private sources make up a small slice of the total financial aid pie. Nonetheless, there are a number of scholarship opportunities—the trick is finding which ones are applicable to your individual situation. Scholarship Information is posted on our Scholarship Newsletter - linked above.

This is not an exhaustive list; websites are listed in this section to assist with other scholarship searches. Be forewarned—the application process for scholarships is often as detailed as applying for college - but you cannot win without completing the applications. The most important thing to remember is to never pay for a scholarship or for scholarship information. Individual colleges and universities also offer merit-based scholarship programs which will be offered to qualified students once accepted. Check with colleges for specific information.

Examples of Scholarship Criteria: academic merit or good grades, leadership activities, community service, extracurricular activities/athletics, honors and achievements, financial need, personal statement, overcoming adversity, etc.

Scholarship Resources:

• Go to www.scholarshipplus.com/wake - for Green Level and Wake County-specific scholarship information.

• Go to www.cfnc.org for information about need-based grants and scholarships, merit-based scholarships, and other forms of aid. From their homepage, click on "Pay for College"

• College Board offers a Scholarship Search Tool and Opportunity Scholarships (chance to win $40,000 just by completing 6 steps)

• Latinx Education (LatinxEd – “lah-teen-ex-ed”) is a non-profit educational initiative in NC providing targeted, multi-year support to Latinx students and immigrant families striving for higher education and greater opportunity. They share a list of scholarships specific to Latinx students here.

• Looking for scholarships for non-US citizens? Click here.

• Click here for additional scholarship resources for students of color. While the document is dated, many of the resources are still valid and organizations continue to provide awards.

NC Merit Scholarships

View this presentation to hear from the representatives of five North Carolina merit scholarships about their programs and how to apply. Representatives include:

• Christina Garrett, Cheatham-White Scholarship Program, NC Central University

• Margaret Turner, EC Scholars, East Carolina University

• Abey Dessie, Levine Scholars Program, UNC Charlotte

• Justine Okerson, Morehead-Cain, UNC Chapel Hill

• Reneé Tutchton, Park Scholarships, NC State University

All students planning to apply to colleges in North Carolina MUST complete the Residency Determination process through RDS (Residency Determination Service). This service will determine eligibility for in-state tuition and state grant awards. To learn more about RDS, and how it relates to the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), read the Navigating RDS and the FAFSA tip sheet. After you complete this process, RDS will assign you a Residency Certification Number (RCN) that you will report to the NC colleges that you are applying to.

• RDS Appeals Information (en Espanol)

Stafford Loan: Stafford Loans are available to undergraduates on the basis of demonstrated financial need. Interest rates continue to be favorable and interest is paid by the federal government for the first six months after graduation. A program called the “Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan Program,” is available to undergraduates who do not demonstrate financial need. Students must file the FAFSA for the regular Stafford Loan first and if not eligible, will automatically be considered for the Unsubsidized program. Although borrowing limits and interest rates are identical to the regular Stafford Loan, interest will not be subsidized while the undergraduate is attending college. Students have the option of either paying interest on the loan as it accrues or capitalizing the interest and paying it off along with the principle following graduation. Even though the government does not pay interest, this option is attractive because of the very favorable interest rate.

Pell Grants and Supplemental Educational Grants: Pell Grants and SEOG’s are distributed to students based solely on need as determined by the FAFSA. The college financial aid office determines the amount received through a SEOG.

Work-Study: Work-Study is a federally funded program that allows students to work on campus to help defray the costs of education. This program is organized by the school’s financial aid office.

Perkins Loan: The Perkins Loan provides funds for students who demonstrate need as determined by the FAFSA. Colleges have a restricted amount of funds available for Perkins Loans and allocate it accordingly. Repayment begins six months after graduation.

Parents Loan For Undergraduate Students (PLUS): Through this program, parents may borrow the entire cost of their students’ education, minus awarded financial aid. Repayment of PLUS loans must begin within 60 days of disbursement. Bank approval of a PLUS loan hinges on examination of the family’s credit history. The low interest rates on PLUS loans make these an attractive option for families who plan to finance educational costs.