NC Community College Scholarship Program

SECU Foundation established this two-year scholarship program to assist North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) students in achieving academic success. The members of State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) take an active role in assisting organizations and communities across North Carolina and truly believe in People Helping People!

There are 116 scholarships valued at up to $5,000 each. Each North Carolina Community College will receive two (2) scholarships each academic year. These scholarships are distributed semi-annually in two payments: fall semester, $1,250 per student; and spring semester, $1,250 per student for a maximum of four (4) consecutive semesters.

Recipients are selected by the Scholarship Selection Committee. The following criteria must be used to award the SECU Foundation People Helping People scholarships and have been designed to give the committee maximum flexibility in bestowing the scholarship.

The Scholarship Selection Committee at the community college will recognize the individual most deserving of an opportunity to attend college. A completed Student Data Form is required.

The committee will consider students who best exemplify the membership philosophy of the Credit Union, People Helping People, and have demonstrated leadership, excellence of character, integrity, and community involvement. The recipient will be selected without regard to race, sex, color, creed, religious preference, age, national origin or disability.

Preference will be given to students whose parents or guardians and family members are public sector employees (state, local or federal government; public health; public education) who live and work in North Carolina. Information for the scholarship is available through the financial aid office. Scholarship Selection Committee will use the following criteria to award the scholarship to a recipient who:

1. Is an applicant or full-time student who is a high school graduate or has completed the General Education Development (GED) program, enrolled in an associate degree, diploma, or certificate program.
2. Is a resident of North Carolina under NCGS 116-143.1 and is eligible for in-state tuition.
3. Applicant must not have previously been awarded the SECU 2-year People Helping People scholarship. Each year recipients selected must be new recipients of the scholarship.
4. Best exemplifies the membership philosophy of credit unions, People Helping People and has demonstrated leadership, excellence of character, integrity, and community involvement.
5. Demonstrates financial need using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Preference may be given to students with limited financial aid from other programs.
6. Demonstrates scholastic achievement and maintains a 2.5 or higher-grade point average on a 4.0 scale or attained a score of 3,000 on the GED test.
7. Uses the scholarship to pay for full-time student tuition, books, fees, course supplies, and transportation.
8. Agrees to continue at the community college where enrolled at the time of the scholarship award for the duration of the scholarship, for four consecutive fall/spring semesters or upon completion of a diploma program. Scholarships are not transferable to another student or another school.
9. Is not a director, employee, or family member of a director or employee of SECU or the SECU Foundation, or a family member of a member of the scholarship selection committee. For the purpose of this scholarship program and a student’s relation to a director, employee, or selection committee member, family member includes spouse, parents, siblings, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and spouses of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, of a selection committee member, employee or director of SECU, or employee or director of SECU Foundation. Also, for the purpose of this scholarship program and a student’s relation to a director, employee, or selection committee member, family member also includes persons living in the same residence and maintaining a single economic unit as a selection committee member, employee or director of SECU, or employee or director of SECU Foundation.