The Best Scholarships for North Carolina Students with Upcoming Deadlines in 2026

North Carolina students and student debt

North Carolina is home to many students of various demographics, many of whom go on to pursue a college education in their home state. Each year there are new high school seniors preparing for the next step in education. Like students in the rest of the US, North Carolina residents have also been affected by the rising costs of college and many have turned to loans as a means to pursuing higher education.

North Carolina K-12 students

In the 2020-2021 school year, 1,431,121 students attended public schools in North Carolina. Last year, North Carolina Virtual Public School had 51,000 students enrolled, an increase that is likely due to COVID.

The North Carolina high school graduation rate is 87.6%, resulting in a sizable pool of prospective college students each year.

Around 20% of North Carolina children live in poverty and 44% are from low-income or poor families with 68% of Hispanic or Latinx children falling into this category and 61% of Black children.

Students of color are also less prepared for online school as Black, Native American, and Latinx households are 10% less likely to have access to the internet. In order to have an equal opportunity for higher education as their white counterparts, students of color need more resources and better funding for their schools.

As a whole, North Carolina has a lower than average per-pupil spending amount of $10,632 as compared to the national average of $13,597. In the last decade, per-pupil spending in North Carolina has fallen by 6%, resulting in NC having the sixth lowest spending amount in the country.

Low spending amounts also carry over to teachers' salaries with the average North Carolina teacher making only $54,150 per year, $10,000 less than the national average. North Carolina ranks 44th in school principal salaries and teachers in NC make more than 25% less than similar college graduates in the state.

As a result, prospective teachers who are passionate about helping children and teaching the value of education may be disincentivized from pursuing the field.

North Carolina college students

In North Carolina, there are 564,470 college students, 486,732 of whom are undergraduate students. College populations in North Carolina are predominantly female as 339,569 college students are women as compared to only 224,901 male students. Many of these students opt for online learning as more than 260,000 North Carolina college students take fully online courseloads.

Of all of the college students in North Carolina, 309,899 are white, 116,864 are Black, 52,803 are Hispanic, and 21,639 are Asian.

Education opportunities in North Carolina

North Carolina offers many opportunities for higher education with 53 colleges and universities in the state, 17 of which are public. These institutions include Duke University, North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina A&T, four Tier 1 research universities.

North Carolina also has 58 community colleges which over 800,000 students attend each year.

Costs of a college education in North Carolina

Based on out-of-state rates, the average cost of attendance (COA) for the 2020-2021 academic school year was $32,134 for on-campus living and $32,127 for off-campus students. Undergraduate tuition and fees cost an average of $17,028 for out-of-state students but only $3,367 for in-state students.

As high school seniors in North Carolina are preparing for higher education, it's important to understand the associated costs. The average in-state graduate tuition is $8,161 and $17,807 for out-of-state students with an additional living cost of $13,734.

Student debt in North Carolina

Student loan debt in America as a whole has reached a record amount of $1.7 trillion due to a lack of financial assistance available for graduating high school seniors, undergraduate students, and graduate students.

Federal student aid aims to help students with financial need but often doesn't go far enough in paying for higher education. North Carolina students have not been exempt from the student loan crisis and are in need of financial aid.

Over 60% of public and private college graduates in North Carolina have student loans, owing an average of more than $25,000 each.

Eligible undergraduate students can receive between $5,500 to $12,500 in federal loans each year and many parents also take out PLUS loans to help with tuition. Students with financial need may also qualify for federal work-study jobs to help with education expenses.

How to apply for scholarships as a North Carolina resident

There are many different types of scholarships you can find to help cover your college costs; some will be North Carolina scholarships that a North Carolina resident is eligible for, others will be general scholarships available to students across the United States (a North Carolina resident should consider applying to these as well). Your school may provide merit-based scholarship awards as well as financial aid based on your demonstrated financial need.

You can also turn to scholarship platforms to find more opportunities for financial assistance. Bold.org is one such scholarship program that lists hundreds of high school and college scholarships.

Applying for scholarships on Bold.org is simple, as each scholarship will have instructions in the description, an "apply now" button, and a space for your essay or other application materials.

Before applying, check all of the eligibility requirements to ensure that you're one of the qualified applicants. Then, just follow the application prompts and click submit!

Each scholarship will have different requirements, such as degree type, field of study, or location. For North Carolina scholarships, make sure you have your address and school put in correctly so donors know you qualify.

What scholarships are available in North Carolina?

Searching for financial assistance can feel daunting and overwhelming. However, there are plenty of opportunities available if you know where to look. On Bold.org, you can find all kinds of scholarship opportunities for qualified applicants, so start your search today!

North Carolina scholarships for high school students

With Bold.org, you don't even have to wait until you're in college to start earning scholarship money. You can start your search while in high school and you can find the proper scholarships by choosing high school as your education level.

You can also use the other scholarship filters to see the highest value scholarships, newest opportunities, or scholarships with the nearest deadline. Everyone ranging from high school seniors to high school freshmen should get started.

Scholarships for undergraduate students in North Carolina

Many scholarships on Bold.org are geared towards undergraduate students. To find these opportunities, you can filter by education level to pull up undergraduate scholarships.

You can also choose a category to find more specific scholarships, such as athletic scholarships, scholarships for women, or scholarships for students pursuing a certain career field.

Nursing scholarships in North Carolina

Nursing scholarships are one such example of a scholarship niche that you can find. By clicking on the "healthcare" category, you'll find scholarships such as the WiseGeek Nurse Appreciation No-Essay Scholarship, the Faith, Hope, & Nursing Scholarship, and the National Healthcare Heroes Grant for Nurses.

You can find similar opportunities for other career fields, such as education, business, psychology, computer science, etc. by clicking on the proper category for each field.

North Carolina need-based scholarships

Many scholarships are open to students regardless of financial status but there are also plenty of opportunities exclusively for students with financial need. Most of these scholarships require applicants to be low-income, such as the You Glow Differently When You're Happy Scholarship.

Additional scholarships in NC that students should consider

For a graduating high school senior, and any other student pursuing financial aid, your scholarship search is ultimately up to you; but to have the best chances of winning, you should consider scholarships with as many eligibility requirements as possible.

Scholarships that are only open to a certain gender, race, financial status, field of study, and/or education level will have fewer eligible applicants, giving you a greater chance of winning. And, while there are North Carolina scholarships available, we encourage browsing all of the additional scholarships available on Bold.org; we are confident you'll find what you're looking for!

Frequently asked questions

What is a scholarship?

A scholarship is a form of financial aid that acts as a gift. Unlike some other financial aid options, such as loans, scholarships do not need to be paid back.

How many scholarships can I win?

There is no limit to the number of scholarships you can win on Bold.org. Scholarships are free to apply for so you can apply to as many as possible to increase your chances of winning.

How much money are scholarships worth?

Each scholarship is different, with some being smaller awards and others more significant. Scholarships on Bold.org are each worth at least $500 with others offering more. The highest scholarship currently listed is worth $75,000!

Who is eligible for scholarships?

Some scholarships are open to all students while others have additional requirements, such as race, first-generation status, etc. In order to qualify for any scholarships on Bold.org, you must be at least 14 years old, in high school or higher education, and attending a school located in the United States.

Some scholarships will require applicants to demonstrate financial difficulty, such as by being low-income, others will target specific demographics, such as Hispanic students, and some will seek out students with a certain background or talent, such as leadership skills. Some scholarships are also exclusively open to students in a certain state, such as North Carolina scholarships.

As a result, you won't be among the qualified applicants for every scholarship, but Bold.org has plenty of opportunities for everyone.

There are scholarship opportunities for all kinds of degrees, such as for a master's degree, an undergraduate degree, doctoral programs, all high school students, high school seniors, community college students, graduate students, and even students pursuing a trade school degree program.

Can scholarships be used towards student loans?

Most scholarships have to be applied to college tuition and are only open to current students pursuing high school or higher education. However, there are a few scholarships that graduates or current students can use toward their student loans.

These scholarships include the Forget Your Student Debt. No-Essay Grant, the @ESPDaniella Debt Grant, the Nitro Student Loan Forgiveness Grant, and more.

How do I use a scholarship?

Scholarships that are applied to student loans will be provided to you after signing a grant agreement to use it towards your loans.

For regular college scholarships, the award money will be sent to your school's financial aid office by check to be applied to your tuition and costs.

What are the easiest scholarships to apply for?

Each scholarship on Bold.org is designed to be as simple to apply for as possible. However, some have a quicker process than others. No-essay scholarships, for example, require less time and effort to apply than essay-based scholarships.

However, no-essay scholarships are also more likely to receive a higher number of applications as a result, reducing your chances of winning. No-essay scholarships also give you less of an opportunity to stand out since you can't showcase your personality through an essay or other submission.

Do I have to have a minimum GPA to apply?

There are some scholarships on Bold.org that require students to display demonstrated aptitude or academic excellence by having a certain GPA. However, most scholarships are open to students regardless of academic achievement or grade point average.

Are scholarships taxable income?

As a form of gift aid, scholarships awarded are not taxable income and simply serve to help you pay your college tuition and student fees.