The Golden LEAF Scholarship Program will award up to 215 grants, each valued at of $12,000 ($3,000 per year for up to four years) for the 2015-16 academic year. These scholarships are made possible through a grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation.

To be eligible for the scholarship, a student must: be enrolled during the 2014-15 academic year at a North Carolina public or private high school or a North Carolina community college; be a North Carolina resident for tuition purposes; reside in one of 79 qualifying counties (see county list at CFNC.org/goldenleaf); enroll at a qualifying UNC institution, or a North Carolina private non-profit college or university as a full-time, degree-seeking student in the fall of 2015 (see listing of qualifying campuses at CFNC.org/goldenleaf); demonstrate financial need.

Students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered for this scholarship. Students must present a satisfactory record of academic achievement and community service. Extracurricular activities and information provided in a brief essay submitted by the applicant may be considered in determining recipients. Students must submit an application.

For the purposes of this scholarship the value of real property owned by farm families will not be considered when determining financial need. Students in default on student loans and students who have already been awarded bachelor’s degrees at four-year colleges and universities are not eligible for this scholarship.

The Golden LEAF Scholarship application is available at CFNC.org/goldenleaf. The application deadline is March 1, 2015.

The 2015-16 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available at fafsa.gov must be submitted between Jan. 1 and March 1, 2015. For more information about this program, or about the Golden LEAF Scholarship program for students attending community colleges, visit CFNC.org/goldenleaf or call College Foundation of North Carolina, toll-free at 866-866-CFNC.

-Submitted by Rashonn Albritton