North Carolina Scholarships

Introduction to North Carolina Scholarships

For the 2020-2021 academic year, North Carolina was home to over 500,000 students, undergraduate and graduate combined. Whether you’re one of those students already, or you’re still in high school but already looking ahead (kudos to you!), you’ve come to the right place to find all things North Carolina scholarships and financial aid resources. 

North Carolina, also known as the Tar Heel State, is home to many highly ranked public and private institutions, including the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (among other schools in the UNC system), Duke University, and Wake Forest University. Keep reading to learn more about attending college in North Carolina, North Carolina scholarships, and where you can go to get even more helpful information on NC state-based financial aid and college planning.

North Carolina colleges and universities: the basics

I already mentioned that North Carolina is home to more than a few great schools that fall into a wide range of categories, but let’s dive into the details! 

The most well-known higher education system in North Carolina is the UNC system. The UNC system comprises 16 public four-year colleges and universities across the state, and has a total of over 225,000 students enrolled among them. In-state students attending one of North Carolina’s public four-year schools can expect to pay around $7,000 per year in tuition.

Conversely, North Carolina is also home to nearly 50 private four-year institutions, such as Greensboro College, Elon University, and Davidson College. The average annual in-state tuition at North Carolina’s four-year private schools is approximately $25,000. 

In addition to these public and private four-year universities, North Carolina is also home to several dozen public two-year schools such as Wake Technical Community College and Coastal Carolina Community College, which have an average in-state tuition of around $2,500 per year.  

Regardless of which type of school you’re looking at, the bottom line is that college can be expensive! Keep reading to learn about some great North Carolina scholarships to help you offset your costs. 

North Carolina scholarships to apply for

Additional scholarship and financial aid resources for North Carolina students

North Carolinians, rejoice! Your state has the College Foundation of North Carolina, which is an extremely informative and comprehensive resource providing information on all things NC financial aid and scholarships. On the CFNC website, you can explore:

  • Planning resources to prepare to apply to NC institutions 
  • Majors and programs at various schools
  • The NC 529 Plan to help you save for college
  • Even more state-specific scholarship opportunities 
  • And so so much more! 

The North Carolina Community Foundation also partners with organizations across the state to offer dozens of scholarships to NC students. On their website, you can search for scholarships by county, and you can also apply for many scholarships using their Standard Scholarship Application.