This Golden LEAF Scholarship is open to high school seniors and community college transfer students who reside in a qualifying rural, economically distressed North Carolina county and are planning to enroll full-time in a participating public or private college or university located in North Carolina.

• Be a North Carolina resident for tuition purposes
• Reside in a qualifying rural North Carolina county
• Be a graduating North Carolina high school senior or a currently enrolled North Carolina community college transfer student enrolling full-time in the fall
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
• Plan to enroll in a participating North Carolina public or private college/university
• Have a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Student Aid Index (SAI) that does not exceed the maximum permitted by Golden LEAF
• Be able to communicate a commitment to returning to a rural North Carolina county after graduation from college