Scholarships and Other Opportunities
You’ve found the right school. Now how do you find the funds? Paying for college can be a challenge—but with a variety of scholarships and other types of financial aid available, you should have enough resources to earn a degree without going into debt.
As one of the nation's leading land-grant institutions, NC State University was founded on the principal of helping others help themselves. Educational parity is not just our commitment, it's our promise. That's why we have several payment programs available to you and your family to give you options. If you want to pursue higher education, we are here to help make it happen.
Scholarships and grants are a good option since they don’t require repayment or work obligations letting you focus all your attention on your studies. Some are based on demonstrated need while others are based on academic performance.
- NC State’s Park Scholarship Program is based on scholarship, leadership, character and service.
- Individual college scholarships are just that—scholarships offered through NC State’s individual colleges and departments. Find out more about the available scholarships within the following colleges and departments:
- Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Design
- Education
- Engineering
- First Year College
- Humanities & Social Sciences
- Management
- Music Department
- Natural Resources
- Physical and Mathematical Sciences
- Textiles
- The Graduate School
- Veterinary Medicine
- External scholarships may not be directly affiliated with NC State, but they can offer excellent opportunities for financial help.
explore more options
Work-study programs require you to repay the funds by working part-time in an on-campus or off-campus job while you’re in school. Students must demonstrate financial need and can apply through the FAFSA.
Fellowships are financial aid programs that provide students with opportunities for work, practical experience, study in the U.S. and abroad, research and travel. They’re based on merit and typically require a service commitment.
The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program offers North Carolina high school seniors funds to help with college tuition in exchange for a one-year teaching commitment in a North Carolina school. Applications and deadlines are available online.
Pack Promise guarantees that NC State’s most need-based students will receive 100% of their financial aid requirements through scholarships, grants, federal work-study employment and need-based loans.
how-to finance your education (it’s easier than you think)
You may apply for several types of aid including scholarships, grants, long-term loans, and work-study assistance. While most assistance is awarded on the basis of financial need, other kinds of aid, such as NC State Merit Scholarships, are based on academic achievement.
applying for financial aid
- Obtain a copy of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) from your high school counselor or from the NC State Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.
- Complete and submit the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1. To ensure that you are considered for all types of financial aid for which you are eligible, submit the FAFSA by March 1.
- Indicate on the FAFSA that you want to apply for financial aid at NC State.
- After the FAFSA is processed, you will receive a Student Aid Report, which you should review to make sure all the information you supplied was accurate. An electronic copy of your FAFSA will be transmitted to NC State by the federal processor.
qualifications for financial aid
Once NC State receives FAFSA results, you will be considered for all types of need-based aid. Need is defined as the difference between the cost of attending NC State for one academic year and the expected family contribution toward paying those costs. You should plan to contribute to your NC State expenses from summer employment and other educational benefits or savings you may have. Your family's financial information is handled with the highest degree of confidentiality.
A student's determined financial need is usually met with a combination of several kinds of aid. Scholarships and grants are gift awards that require no repayment or work obligation. Loans or work-study programs are self-help forms of aid and do require repayment or involve employment.
The University makes every effort to continue your financial aid each year as long as you reapply for assistance on time, continue to demonstrate need, and are making satisfactory progress toward completion of your degree program.
For more information about financial aid, contact:
Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid
Box 7302 NC State
Raleigh, NC 27695-7302
Phone: 919.515.2421
important dates
If you're a domestic applicant and file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1, you will automatically be considered for need- and college-based scholarships. Domestic freshman applicants must submit a completed application for admission by November 1 for consideration of merit-based scholarships. Learn more.
