Community Foundation of Western North Carolina

Scholarships at The Community Foundation

In 2006-2007, The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) awarded more than $500,000 in college scholarships to students across our 18-county mountain region. Scholarship endowments administered by the Foundation now exceed $10 million.

In addition to the general criteria listed below, each individual scholarship description is followed by additional criteria that is specific to that award. Applicants must meet both criteria to be considered.

All complete applications received by the deadline are forwarded to impartial advisory committees that consist of three to nine members. Interviews may be required as part of the selection process. Scholarships are awarded without regard to race, creed, gender, ethnic background or handicap, with the exception of those programs with clearly stated restrictions or preferences.

General Criteria

The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina's scholarships are offered to:

  • North Carolina residents
  • High school seniors or graduates, or the equivalent
  • Homeschoolers whose home schools are registered with the NC Division of Non-Public Education (please contact the Foundation directly)
  • Students who will attend US colleges, universities, community colleges, vocational or technical schools, public or private, as full-time students in the fall following the award (unless otherwise noted). All schools that qualify for Title IV federal aid (loans, grants and work-study) also qualify to receive Foundation scholarships.

In addition, applicants must exhibit:

  • Financial need (unless otherwise noted)
  • Academic achievement and potential, as indicated by class rank, grade point average (GPA) and/or standardized test scores (SAT or ACT)
  • A history of active participation in school activities, community service, extracurricular activities and/or work experience
  • Strong moral character

Deadlines, numbers and amount of awards published on this website are for guidance only and may change from year to year. If a deadline falls on a weekend or a holiday when the office is closed, applications will be accepted through the end of the next business day.

Note: Applicants who are employees, volunteers or board members, or who are directly related to employees, volunteers or board members of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina are not eligible to apply. Also, individuals directly related to members of a scholarship fund's selection committee or donors are ineligible for that particular fund.

If you are seeking aid for college, please follow the links for information about our scholarships and other student resources:

WNC High School and College Student Scholarships
Corporate and Country Club Scholarships
Additional Scholarship Resources
Helpful Links

Questions? Contact Maria Juarez, CFWNC scholarship officer.

If you would like information about establishing a scholarship fund with The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, please click here.