Did you know the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the first public university in the United States? It comes as no surprise that residents in North Carolina and students of the Tar Heel State make higher education a priority. In addition to UNC Chapel Hill, North Carolina has some fantastic colleges and universities to consider including East Carolina University (ECU), North Carolina State University (NC State), Wake Forest University, High Point University, and Duke University just to name a few!
North Carolina is a popular place to go to college with over half a million students attending 110 colleges and universities in North Carolina in 2024! With the rising costs of tuition, the dreams of a college education may seem almost out of reach. Luckily, there are plenty of scholarships in North Carolina for students to help pay for the costs of college.
Check out our list of 2,611 North Carolina Scholarships in 2025 worth $9M.
$25,000
Award Amount
5
Awards
May 1
Deadline
This award is available for female U.S. college sophomores and juniors who major in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, software engineering, or systems engineering. Students must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and attend select institutions as listed on the SWE website.
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$500
Award Amount
1
Award
Dec 31
Deadline
The L. Phil and Alice J. Wicker Scholarship is for a licensed radio amateur with a general class or higher license who is a resident of and attends college in the ARRL Roanoke Division (North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia). The student must be pursuing a bachelor's degree or higher in electronics, communications, or related fields.
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$2,200
Award Amount
1
Award
Feb 1
Deadline
This award is available for U.S. and international undergraduate and graduate students who are residents of North Carolina and studying business or business management at eligible North Carolina public institutions. Applicants must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
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$3,000
Award Amount
1
Award
May 31
Deadline
Undergraduate students at North Carolina A&T State University who are majoring in transportation, safety, urban planning, environmental disciplines, public services, or a specific transportation-related discipline are eligible for this award. Students must have demonstrated leadership skills and an active commitment to community service.
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$2,200
Award Amount
2
Awards
Feb 3
Deadline
This scholarship is available for North Carolina high school seniors who are 4-H members. Students must plan to attend an institution of higher education in North Carolina in the fall of the year that they apply for the scholarship.
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$1,000
Award Amount
1
Award
Feb 3
Deadline
This scholarship is available for high school seniors who are 4-H members and plan to attend North Carolina State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Preference goes first to applicants from Pasquotank County, NC. If no qualified applicants are available, then preference goes to applicants from Camden, Currituck, Perquimans and Chowan counties in NC.
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$1,000
Award Amount
1
Award
Feb 3
Deadline
This scholarship is available for North Carolina high school seniors who are 4-H members.
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$2,000
Award Amount
2
Awards
Feb 3
Deadline
This scholarship is available for North Carolina high school seniors who are 4-H members. Students must plan to attend an institution of higher education in North Carolina in the fall of the year that they apply for the scholarship.
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$1,000
Award Amount
1
Award
Feb 3
Deadline
This scholarship is available for high school seniors who are 4-H members and residents of the Northeast District of North Carolina.
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$1,000
Award Amount
1
Award
Feb 3
Deadline
This scholarship is available for high school seniors who are 4-H members and residents of North Carolina's Northeastern Extension District. Students must plan to attend an institution of higher education in North Carolina in the fall of the year that they apply for the scholarship.
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$750
Award Amount
1
Award
Feb 3
Deadline
This scholarship is available for North Carolina high school seniors who are 4-H members. Students must plan to attend an institution of higher education in North Carolina in the fall of the year that they apply for the scholarship.
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$1,000
Award Amount
1
Award
Feb 3
Deadline
This scholarship is available for North Carolina high school seniors who are 4-H members, and are planning on majoring in home economics, family and consumer sciences, or human ecology. Students must plan to attend an institution of higher education in North Carolina and have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
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$1,000
Award Amount
1
Award
Feb 3
Deadline
This scholarship is available for North Carolina high school seniors who are 4-H members. Students must plan to attend North Carolina State University and major in a curriculum related to agriculture production.
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$2,000
Award Amount
2
Awards
Feb 3
Deadline
This scholarship is available for North Carolina high school seniors who are 4-H members. Students must plan to attend North Carolina State University in the fall of the year that they apply for the scholarship.
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$1,000
Award Amount
1
Award
Feb 3
Deadline
This scholarship is available for North Carolina 4-H members who are majoring in horticultural science at North Carolina State University. Preference is given to freshman, but may be awarded to an upperclassman.
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$1,000
Award Amount
1
Award
Feb 3
Deadline
This scholarship is available for North Carolina high school seniors who are 4-H members and plan to attend North Carolina State University. Students must be enrolled in animal science, pre-veterinary studies, or agricultural studies, and have an outstanding swine record or live on a farm where swine production is a commercial or purebred enterprise.
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$1,000
Award Amount
1
Award
Feb 3
Deadline
This scholarship is available for North Carolina undergraduate students who are 4-H members and attend North Carolina State University. Students must major in agriculture or forestry.
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$1,000
Award Amount
2
Awards
Feb 3
Deadline
This scholarship is available for North Carolina high school seniors who are 4-H members. Students must be currently enrolled in the 4-H Horse Project and must be eligible under official 4-H Horse Program Guidelines.
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$2,000
Award Amount
2
Awards
Feb 3
Deadline
This scholarship is available for North Carolina high school seniors who are 4-H members and majoring in some phase of communications. Students must plan to attend an institution of higher education in North Carolina in the fall of the year that they apply for the scholarship.
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$10,000
Award Amount
1
Award
Feb 17
Deadline
This scholarship is available for U.S. high school seniors who reside within 50 miles of a Simon® property. Students must plan to enroll full time in an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational/technical school in the upcoming fall semester, and must demonstrate academic promise and financial need.
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$8,000
Award Amount
1
Award
Mar 15
Deadline
This award is available for North Carolina students who are enrolled full time at an eligible state institution. The student must be an undergraduate majoring in criminal justice and demonstrate financial need.
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$204,000
Award Amount
17
Awards
Jan 31
Deadline
This award is available to North Carolina high school seniors who are planning to enroll full time at North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Awards are based on financial need, merit, leadership, and character. Scholars can receive additional funding to study abroad.
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$25,000
Award Amount
5
Awards
Mar 15
Deadline
This scholarship is available for undergraduate and graduate students who have been residents of Durham, Orange, or Wake counties in North Carolina for one year or more. Students must demonstrate the potential to succeed despite adversity and have an exceptional desire to improve themselves through further education or training.
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$450,000
Award Amount
100
Awards
Feb 14
Deadline
This scholarship is available for undergraduate and graduate North Carolina students who are under 25 at time of application and plan to attend or are attending a North Carolina college. Students must have a veteran parent who is or was at time of death drawing pension for total and permanent disability as rated by the USDVA OR a veteran parent who is a deceased war veteran who was honorably discharged and who does not qualify for any other education assistance offered by NCDVA OR a veteran parent who served in a combat zone, or waters adjacent to a combact zone, and received a campaign badge or medal and who does not qualify for any other education assistance offered by NCDVA.
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$20,238
Award Amount
1
Award
Mar 1
Deadline
High school seniors and transfer students who are not residents of Idaho and are planning to enroll at Lewis-Clark State College for the first time are eligible for this award. Students must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and must plan to enroll full time.
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Understanding Scholarships In North Carolina
Before we introduce the various grants and scholarships available for going to college in North Carolina, it is important to understand the cost of going to school in North Carolina. If you are attending UNC Chapel Hill and are a resident of the Tar Heel state, you will pay $7,020 in undergraduate tuition and just under $2,000 in fees, for the 2024-25 school year. Out of state students can expect to pay over $40,000 in tuition and fees.
Tuition and fees at NC State is roughly the same for North Carolina residents and $33,034 for out-of-state residents. Tuition and fees at other North Carolina public universities are a little more affordable. For example, in-state tuition and fees at East Carolina is $7,516 and $23,793 for students who do not live in the state.
If you are looking to attend a private college or university in North Carolina, you can expect to pay tuition and fees of up to $69,000 at Duke University. Tuition and fees at Wake Forest are just about the same. High Point University is considerably more affordable with 2024-25 tuition and fees of $47,712.
The great news is there are a good number of grants and scholarships available for students who want to study in North Carolina, that can make going to school much more affordable!
Many NC scholarships also help those who demonstrate financial need. To qualify for financial aid based on need, you fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA is a standard form that may help you receive a Pell Grant and other federal aid.
States also use the FAFSA to provide grants for college. The North Carolina Community College Grant is one. It is from the NC State Education Assistance Authority. Funds are up to $2,400 depending on availability. You must be a full time student in need to qualify. You also must be pursuing an undergraduate degree program.
Your scholarship search should also include scholarship programs from NC colleges. All admitted first year students at NC State University may be automatically considered for merit scholarships. Eligibility entails a 3.0 GPA. Award amounts range from $1,000 to $10,000. They could also be renewable each year.
10 North Carolina Scholarships You Should Apply for in 2025
There are so many scholarship opportunities in the state of North Carolina. Some awards are only for North Carolina residents. Submit your application before the deadline!
Felicia Brewer Opportunity Scholarship
Aubrey Lee Brooks Scholarship
Glaxo Smith Kline Opportunity Scholarship
Winston Salem Foundation Scholarship
Wake Forest University Nancy S. Reynolds Scholarship
Safety in North Carolina Scholarship
Traub-Dicker Rainbow Scholarship
PFLAG Greensboro Chapter Carter Stroupe Memorial Scholarship
NC Sheriffs Association Undergraduate Criminal Justice Scholarships
Couch Oil Cares Scholarship
How Much Does College Cost in North Carolina?
According to the NCES, attending a public four year college costs North Carolina residents an average of $17,343 per academic year. If you are an out of state student, tuition and fees average $24,274 which is slightly below the national average. It’s about $2,499 per year for a two year college or $8,496 for out of state. Private colleges also tend to cost more.
Full Ride North Carolina Scholarships
Some NC colleges like NCSU, Duke, and UNC Chapel Hill offer full ride scholarships in NC. Full ride scholarships may cover tuition, fees, and room and board. It tends to pay for your entire four year degree program. These awards typically are given to college students with outstanding academic achievements. NC colleges with these scholarship funds typically offer them to new high school seniors entering as incoming freshmen.
Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill offer the Robertson Scholars Leadership program. It covers eight semesters of full tuition, fees, and room and board. Scholars also access funding for up to three summer experiences. Other benefits also include paid conferences and two study abroad semesters.
North Carolina State University offers the Park Scholarship. It is a four year full ride scholarship. About 40 new undergraduate students receive an award each year. The current award amount is $112,000 for in state students and $203,000 for out of state students. It also typically covers tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, travel, and personal expenses. Selectees also access early course registration and score an invite to the University Scholars or Honors program.
Scholarships for Graduate Students in NC
There are plenty of scholarships for graduate students in NC if you need financial assistance. According to NCES, in 2017 to 2018, the average tuition and fees of graduate school was $18,416. Various colleges partner with the National Science Foundation. For example, NSF Cyber Corps Scholarship for Service is a full ride scholarship for graduate students in NC. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is one of the providers.
Eligible students must be pursuing a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in cybersecurity. Each SFS scholar receives support for up to two years or three years for PhD. That includes tuition, fees, stipend for housing, meals and more. You also must be a United States citizen. Selected recipients also sign a contract to work in a government cybersecurity job after graduation.
Our Scholarships
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$1,500 – I Have a Dream
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$10,000 – Unigo $10K Award
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$1,500 – Sweet and Simple
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$2,500 – Superpower
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$3,000 – All About Education
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$1,500 – Fifth Month Scholarship
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$1,500 – Do-Over
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$1,500 – Flavor of the Month
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$1,500 – Make Me Laugh
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$1,500 – Shout It Out
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$2,000 – Zombie Apocalypse
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$5,000 – Education Matters
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$1,500 – Top Ten List
Written by Dave Moniz
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Edited by Unigo Staff