Winston Salem Foundation Scholarships

Since 1923, people from around our community have joined together to ensure that more local students have the resources to be all that they dream they can be.

We hold more than 150  scholarship funds that supported 743 scholarship awards to 643 students from Forsyth, Davidson, Davie, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes, and Yadkin Counties with $1.5 million this school year.

Scholarships are available in a wide range of areas—no matter your GPA, your high school, or the college you plan to attend, we likely have an opportunity for which you’re eligible to apply.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON FAFSA

In order to be considered for most WSF scholarships, you must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.gov.*  

We are aware that there have been significant challenges in accessing and completing the new FAFSA form since the FAFSA web portal opened on December 31. We’ve moved our first scholarship deadline to two weeks later (April 1), and we’ll continue to stay abreast of the situation. Please know that we’re committed to working through these challenges to support scholarship applicants and their families.

Need help or more information on how to fill out the FAFSA?  Visit these online resources:

• CFNC College Preparation Page
• CFNC FAFSA Tools
• Federal Student Aid YouTube Channel

Students who are unable to complete the FAFSA (such as non-citizens without a green card or permanent status) can still apply through the WSF scholarship portal after January 1.  

WSF APPLICATION PROCESS

Most of our scholarships are accessed through our online One-Stop Scholarship Application. This means you will be automatically considered for all the scholarships for which you are eligible—with just one application. You’ll need to complete the application in full and provide supplemental materials. We’ll take it from there!

Here’s how the process works:

1. For U.S. citizens, first complete the FAFSA form at fafsa.gov. (For non-citizens, enter WSF portal after January 1 and follow instructions.)

2. Access our One-Stop Scholarship Application. You'll create an online account you can access at any time—so you can save your work and return to it later.

3. Complete the General Application, as well as any other recommended opportunities you are prompted to complete. Be sure to meet the firm deadlines listed above.

4. Additional items you’ll need to have on hand to complete your application:

• FAFSA Submission Summary* after completing the FAFSA form (*the Summary may not be available until late January 2024)
• High school grade transcript through the 11th grade for graduating high school seniors or college grade transcript for students who are already in college, whichever is the most recent.  
• Contact information for someone to provide a recommendation on your behalf

5. Students are notified of awards for merit-based scholarships in May and for need-based scholarships in July.