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POSTED 4/13/26: The Shelby Negro Women's Club will offer a scholarship to an African American senior who plans to continue their education at a 4 year college. The deadline to turn the application and supplemental documents to me is May 15th.
Hard copies can be found on my office door.
Who's Eligible:
Must be a Cleveland County Resident
African American Male or Female Graduating Senior
At least a 3.0 GPA overall
Accepted to 4-year College or University
Must have a financial need. (Scholarships are needs based.)
ESSAY: Write a 1- page Essay answering the questions below:
1. How do you feel your college education will make an impact on society? 2. What does it mean to you to be an African American in the United States? 3. Explain your financial need.
REQUIREMENTS: Please provide a Letter of Recommendation from a teacher, or counselor.
Please provide an Official Copy of your High School Transcripts.
Please provide an Official Copy of your Proof of Enrollment from the 4-year College or University that you plan to attend.
POSTED 4/13/26: The Dean and Carolyn Westmoreland Scholarship is for a graduating senior at KMHS who lives in the Greater Grover Community. This includes the town of Grover in addition to the area of Cleveland County that lies south and east of Bethlehem Road from Buffalo Creek to the NC/SC state lines. The applicant must have a 3.0 GPA, exhibit leadership, diligence, and hard work, have been accepted to an accredited college or university, and cannot be the recipient of more than three other academic or athletic scholarships. The completed application is due no later than Friday, April 24th.
Click HERE to access the application.
Hard copies can be found on my office door.
POSTED 4/13/26: The Kings Mountain Energy Center plans to give two $1,000 scholarships to two KMHS graduating seniors. The student must have plans to enroll in a college in the Fall (4 year, community, trade, etc.). The applicant will type an essay (minimum of 1,000 words) on the prompt below. The essay CANNOT have your name written anywhere on it. Please include your lunch number on the essay so you can be identified later. The essay is due to me no later than Monday, April 27th.
PROMPT: The possible impacts of AI and Data Centers on Energy Consumption
POSTED 4/13/26: The Dr. Robert E. DeVoe Memorial Scholarship was established to honor the legacy of Dr. R.E. DeVoe - pastor, educator, civil rights leader, President of the Cleveland County Branch 5379 of the NAACP, and life member of the NAACP. The scholarship empowers young minds who embody his spirit of service, leadership, and dedication to social justice.
Each year a $1,000.00 scholarship will be awarded to up to four promising high school seniors who are residents of Cleveland County, North Carolina to assist with costs in attending the college of their choice. Pending available funds, the scholarship amount may exceed $1000 with a maximum of $2,000.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
Be a Class of 2026 high school graduate of a public school within Cleveland County, North Carolina.
Demonstrate academic success (minimum 2.5 GPA) and significant community service.
Be accepted into and enrolled in a two-or four- year college or university.
Application Process
How to Apply:
Complete this Google Form.
Email transcript and letter of acceptance within 24 hours of submitting this Google Form application.
Only applications submitted via this Google Form will be considered.
Email documents to: 5379secretary@naacpunit.org
Subject Line: Dr. R.E. DeVoe Scholarship Application
Deadline: April 26, 2026 (for both application and required documents
Letters of Recommendation
Must be emailed directly by the recommender
Must be received by April 26, 2026.
Can be sent via email or mailed to address below
Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
Required Materials
Completed application (All fields completed)via this Google form.
Official high school transcript showing a GPA of 2.5 or higher emailed.
Copy of acceptance letter emailed
One letter of recommendation (submitted directly by the recommender)
Mailing Address:
Cleveland County NAACP Branch #5379
Attn: Dr. Robert E. DeVoe Scholarship Committee
P.O. Box 2311
Shelby, North Carolina 28151
Remember: Save a copy of your full application for your records.
Additional Information
Scholarship recipients and/or a family representative will be invited to attend the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration sponsored by the Cleveland County Branch of the NAACP in January 2027.
For questions or assistance: Call/Text: 704-477-3262 (Secretary Pamela P. Maddox) or Email: 5379secretary@naacpunit.org
POSTED 4/1/26 The Shelby Breakfast Rotary Club sponsors a scholarship in memory of Sandra Kistler who was a long time employee of Cleveland County Schools in the area of CTE. Career and Technical Education (CTE) completers are encouraged to apply. Please return completed application, 200 word statement about your career and educational goals, and letter of recommendation to me no later than May 1, 2026.
Letters of recommendation can be emailed directly to me.
Click HERE to access the application.
Hard copies of the application can be found on my office door.
POSTED 4/1/26. The Doug Earley Memorial CTE Scholarship provides scholarship funding to graduating seniors who meet the following requirements:
A graduating high school senior of Cleveland County Schools.
A Career and Technical Education student who has completed a concentration in a specific career pathway.
A student planning to pursue further education and a career in a technical field.
A student in good standing in academic achievement, attendance, and discipline.
Provide one recommendation from a teacher, school staff member, employer, or outside
organization.
Submit a personal statement about career and education goals.
Submit a copy of the high school transcript.
Student must enroll with their chosen college and utilize the scholarship by the Fall semester following graduation or the Spring semester of the following year.
The deadline to submit the completed application to me is May 1, 2026.
Click HERE to download a copy of the application. Hard copies can be located on my office door.
POSTED 3/31/26: SENIORS WHO WILL BEGIN AT CLEVELAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE FALL OF 2026: The Kings Mountain Educational Foundation offers the Ollie Harris Scholarship (Last year the amount was $1,000 - subject to change depending on available funds). The completed application is due back to Mrs. Cruise no later than Friday, April 24, 2026.
Click HERE to access the application.
Hard copies can be found on my office door.
POSTED 3/31/26: SENIORS PLANNING TO ATTEND TO A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE FOR ANY MAJOR: The Kings Mountain Educational Foundation offers 2 merit based scholarships.
(1) The Carl Mauney Memorial Scholarship to a senior who plans on attending a 4 year college/university in the fall of 2023. Last year the amount was $1,000 (amount subject to change depending on availability of funds). This scholarship is both a merit based and financially need based scholarship. Total scholarship dollars already received will also be taken into consideration for all applicants. The completed application and a copy of the student's acceptance letter to a four-year college are due back to Mrs. Cruise no later than Friday, ARPIL 24, 2026.
(2) Any senior who is ranked in the top 10% of the senior class will be considered for the Sonny Peeler Scholarship (the amount last year was $1,500 - subject to change depending on availability of funds). The applications for Carl Mauney and Sonny Peeler are the same. If you turn in an application and you meet the criteria you will automatically be considered for the Sonny Peeler.
Click HERE to access the application.
Hard copies of the application can be found on my office door.
POSTED 3/31/26: SENIORS WHO PLAN TO BE EDUCATION MAJORS: The Kings Mountain Educational Foundation offers The Jim Scruggs Scholarship. Last year the amount was $1000 (amount subject to change depending on availability of funds). This scholarship is intended for a senior who plans to attend a four year college Fall of 2026 and plans to enter the teaching profession. The completed application and a copy of the student's acceptance letter to a four-year college are due back to Mrs. Cruise no later than Friday, April 24, 2026.
Click HERE to download the application.
Hard copies can be found on my office door.
POSTED 3/20/26: The 2025 Tyler Herndon Memorial Foundation Scholarship
The Foundation was created as a result of the immense support that the Herndon family received after Tyler was killed in the line of duty. This $1,000 scholarship is to honor Tyler’s name and legacy by supporting local high school seniors pursuing a career in public health (nursing, etc.) or public safety (police, EMT, fire, etc.) with the goal of making their community a safer place for all.
Completed applications will be printed, physically mailed, and should be postmarked no later than Friday, April 17th.
Please complete and organize the following materials in this order. Please do not staple, but you may paper clip materials together:
● Completed Application and Personal Essay
● One Letter of Recommendation from a teacher, mentor, or community member. Letter must be in a signed and sealed envelope.
Submitting:
When you have all completed and combined components, please mail them together to the following address:
The Tyler Herndon Memorial Foundation
514 Bethlehem Rd
Kings Mountain, NC 28086
Click HERE to download a copy of the application.
POSTED 3/18/26: SENIOR GIRLS ONLY: The Candy Arey Scholarship valued at $1,000 is for senior FEMALES who attend a Cleveland County High School. Applicants must have a minimum 2.7 GPA and show financial need. Special emphasis will be given to employees of the YMCA, members of the YMCA, participants of YMCA programs, and students who have special financial assistance needs.
Applicants will answer the questions on the application by typing the question, then the answers on their own Microsoft Word or Google Docs document and then printing it out for the student, parent, and counselor signature. Along with your application, you need to include a 1 page cover letter that includes a description of why you are deserving of the scholarship and any information you deem important which you did not give in the application form. This cover letter description is on page 1 of the application written under the paragraph entitled "Application Process". Please make a note of this.
The application and cover letter needs to be returned to Mrs. Cruise no later than Thursday, April 23rd or your completed application with signatures can be emailed to ccorder@clevecoymca.org no later than Sunday, April 26th. Click HERE to access the application.
POSTED 3/16/26: The Horatio Alger Association offers The National Career Technical scholarship to seniors who have plans to enroll in a community college or vocational school to earn an associate's degree, certificate, or diploma by September that will lead to employment. You must have a household income less than $100,000. The deadline to apply is June 15, 2026.
https://horatioalger.org/career-technical-education-scholarships/
POSTED 3/13/26: The 2026 Skechers Scholarship is now live. The deadline to apply is April 15th.
This year, Skechers will be awarding $300,000 in scholarships to high school seniors with demonstrated financial need across four scholarship programs:
POSTED 3/11/26: Coach Blalock Scholarship - COACH JOHN BLALOCK was a long-time successful men’s basketball coach at Compact School & Kings Mountain High School. He coached numerous championship teams at both schools, and his final team at KMHS in 1983 was the only team in school history to end the season ranked as #1 team in the state. Coach Blalock passed away in 2011. To honor him, a committee made up of former Compact and KMHS athletes, teachers, and friends of John Blalock has raised funds to endow a scholarship in his memory. A minimum of one $500 scholarship will be given this year to a senior student athlete planning to attend a four-year college/university beginning Fall 2026.
Senior student athletes that participated in Varsity Men’s Basketball, Football, and Varsity Women’s Basketball are eligible to apply for this scholarship.
Completed applications are due to Mrs. Cruise in the guidance office no later than Wednesday, April 1st WITH a copy of your four-year college/university acceptance letter. Click HERE to access the application.
You can either make a copy of the application or pick up a hard copy on my office door.
POSTED 3/5/26: Davidson Association Scholarship
Eligibility
· Graduating high school senior
· A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0
· Enrolled in a 2 or 4-year accredited college/university
· Scholarship must be taken in the first year after graduation in 2026
· Scholarship will be paid to the school following verification of enrollment
· Must have a family member that is actively involved with the Davidson Association
Please submit the following with your application: Date: May 15, 2026
Three letters of recommendation – sealed(one must be from your guidance counselor, one from a high school teacher, and one from personal – church, community). Recommendations must include the applicant’s name, the full name of the person writing the letter of recommendation along with the phone number and email address
Copy of your high school transcript – sealed
Acceptance letter from the college you plan to attend
One-page essay typed at least 300 words, “Why should I receive The Davidson Association Scholarship” ?
Click HERE to download the application. Hard copies can be located on my office door.
Please return the application along with other items listed to the WISE Committee or mail it to 211 West King Street – Kings Mountain, NC 28086.
POSTED 3/4/26: High School Senior Young Creatives Scholarship offers scholarships that is for $1,500 plus a Sony camera kit. It is open to all high school seniors with a strong interest in photography, graphic design or other electronic visual media who desire to pursue a degree and a career in a related field. An essay and transcripts are taken into consideration. Scholarships will be awarded to six recipients, one from each of the three US regions: East, Central, and West. The application deadline is May 1.
https://www.spac-usa.org/scholarships
You can reference me, KMHS, and TPS Photography on the question: "Name of person, and school and/or company informing you of this scholarship?"
Click HERE for informational flyer.
POSTED 2/25/26: The North Carolina Child Support Council (NCCSC) will awards $2,000 scholarships to eligible North Carolina high school seniors who plan to attend a college, university, technical institute, or trade school in 2026.
Application Deadline
All applications and required attachments must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on April 23, 2026.
Students may apply online by visiting:
https://nccscouncil.org
Paper applications are accepted only with prior written approval from the Scholarship Committee.
Eligibility Requirements (Summary)
Applicants must:
Be a resident of North Carolina
Be a graduating high school senior
Have maintained an unweighted GPA of 2.5 or higher
Have been accepted to a post-secondary institution
Have at least one parent who is either:
A current North Carolina Child Support Council member, or
An active client of the North Carolina Child Support Program (IV-D services or AOC Clerk of Court services)
Required attachments include:
Essay (maximum 650 words) responding to the prompt:
“Innovation often begins with education.”Official high school transcript
Two letters of recommendation (one must be from a current or former teacher)
Copy of official acceptance letter or enrollment verification
NEW for 2026 – Expanded Scholarship Opportunity
Beginning in 2026, the Council has expanded the Bob McGuire Scholarship Program.
An additional scholarship will be awarded annually to a deserving student in the region hosting our Annual Child Support and Attorneys Conference.
Because our 2026 conference will be held in Asheville, students in Western Region counties will be eligible for this additional scholarship opportunity.
Award Details
$2,000 one-time award (first-year tuition only)
Funds are disbursed directly to the post-secondary institution
Recipients must provide proof of enrollment before disbursement
Click HERE for informational flyer.
POSTED 2/18/26: The Gamma Beta Beta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc will award one Black MALE a $1,000 scholarship. The applicant must plan to attend a 2 or 4 year college or university this Fall. Consideration will be given to academic achievement, financial need, and the student's community service record. The deadline to submit the application and supplemental materials is May 1, 2026.
***If you need help mailing the application you will need to submit the completed application to me no later than April 24th.
I have attached copies of the application in MS Word format and as a PDF. DO NOT CONVERT THE APPLICATION TO A GOOGLE DOC!. Hard copies of the application can be found on my office door.
POSTED 2/10/26: Cleveland Community College provides scholarships in the areas of merit (grades), financial need, and for certain program areas. The deadline to apply is April 17th.
Please follow the instructions if you plan to apply for their scholarships.
Step 1 - Submit application for admission to CCC. Once you submit your application you will receive an email providing you with instructions on how to set up your My Cleveland account. https://clevelandcc.edu/admissions/how-to-apply/
Step 2 - Complete the FAFSA application.
Apply for a FSA ID - https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch
Complete FAFSA application. Login using FSA ID username and password - https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
Step 3 - Complete CCC Scholarship application - you will need your CCC ID that will be created after Step 1. https://app.smarterselect.com/programs/100947-Cleveland-Community-College
Please let me know if you need any help.
POSTED 1/14/26: Each year the State Employees Association of North Carolina (SEANC) Scholarship Foundation, Inc. offers academic scholarships to SEANC members, in good standing, their spouses and dependents and Retired SEANC members, in good standing, grandchild(ren). The Scholarship Foundation will award annual scholarships for the 2026-2027 school year.
Membership in teachers’ organizations or State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Members are not eligible for a SEANC Foundation Scholarship. Only SEANC members, in good standing, their spouses and dependents and Retired SEANC members, in good standing, grandchild(ren) are eligible to receive SEANC Scholarships.
Below are the SEANC Scholarships being offered through an online enrollment process:
Category I Scholarship application (Financial Need)
Category II Scholarship application (Merit)
Category III Scholarship application (Member only)
Retiree Grandchild - Category I Scholarship Application (Financial Need)
Retiree Grandchild - Category II Scholarship Application (Merit)
January 2, 2026, the scholarship applications will be available online at https://www.seanc.org/scholarship through an online enrollment process. All applications must be submitted electronically, through the online system rather than on paper.
Applications must be completed and submitted online by April 15, 2025.
If you have a student who is interested in applying for a scholarship, but whose parent is not a member of SEANC, please direct them to www.seanc.org to join. The parent must be a state or local government employee or retired state or local government employee to join SEANC. Membership dues must be paid current prior to April 15, 2025. The student must be enrolled as a full-time student for the 2026-2027 school year.
POSTED 1/13/26: Abbott and Fenner Scholarship Program
Abbott & Fenner Business Consultants are pleased to be able to continue with our scholarship program for the 20th year.
We will be awarding $1,000 to the winner(s) each year.
Scholarship Deadline - June 10, 2026.
Application Process
Students will submit an essay on the topic that appears on the scholarship page of our web site: https://abbottandfenner.com/scholarships.php
Full details are available on our site.
POSTED 1/12/26: Please read the list of eligible programs carefully! I know many students plan to obtain nursing, dental hygiene, and education degrees.
Established by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2011, the Forgivable Education Loans for Service provides financial assistance to qualified students enrolled in an approved education program and committed to working in critical employment shortage professions in North Carolina. The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority provides administration for the program. For the 2025-2026 academic year the approved degree programs and approved institutions can be found via the Scholarship Resource Section.
Eligibility
Be a legal North Carolina resident and NC resident for tuition purposes
Your North Carolina residency status is checked automatically with the Residency Determination Service (RDS) in an overnight process once you submit your FELS application. If applicants haven’t completed residency determination, they may do so at the North Carolina Residency Determination Service Website.
At the time of application, present a cumulative minimum grade point average (GPA) of:
3.00 for graduating high school students (weighted GPA)
2.80 for undergraduate students pursuing an associate or bachelor's degree
At the time of application be enrolled in or will be enrolling in one of the FELS approved programs. Note: if your program of study is not listed on the FELS Approved Program list then you are not eligible to apply for FELS.
Recipients must not be in default, or does not owe a refund, under any federal or State loan or grant program
Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress according to the enrolling policy of the institution
Be willing to work in NC in a designated critical employment shortage profession
Must plan to enroll at least part-time in a FELS Approved Program at a FELS Eligible Institution
Application Requirements
Complete a FELS Application
The 2026 application will open on Monday, January 12. Applications will be entered into a lottery for award consideration.
If you are seeking your associate's or bachelor’s degree, provide a copy of your transcript with your application.
Please review FELS Approved Programs prior to applying to ensure your program is FELS eligible and to read program information.
POSTED 12/5/25: Caballeros de Charlotte Scholarship - The Charlotte Knights and Compass Group are dedicated to providing educational opportunities to the youth in our communities.
To improve educational funding for high school students from Hispanic/Latin backgrounds the Charlotte Knights and Compass Group have committed to providing three $1,000 college scholarships to local high school seniors.
To be considered for this year’s scholarship class, please complete the following application.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS SCHOLARSHIP REQUIRES A COUNSELOR REPORT. SO THAT MEANS YOU NEED TO LET ME KNOW IN PLENTY OF TIME IF YOU ARE APPLYING FOR THIS SCHOLARSHIP.
The deadline to apply is 11:59 PM on Monday, April 6th, 2026. Additional materials must be postmarked by this date.
Download the guidance counselor form here.
POSTED 12/5/25: Piedmont Natural Gas STEM Scholarship - The Charlotte Knights and Piedmont Natural Gas are committed to supporting education in our communities.
To improve educational funding for high school students interested in pursuing a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), the Knights and Piedmont Natural Gas have committed to providing three $1,000 college scholarships to local high school students.
To be considered for this year’s scholarship class, please complete the following application.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS SCHOLARSHIP REQUIRES A COUNSELOR REPORT. SO THAT MEANS YOU NEED TO LET ME KNOW IN PLENTY OF TIME IF YOU ARE APPLYING FOR THIS SCHOLARSHIP.
The deadline to apply is 11:59 PM on Monday, April 6th, 2025. Additional materials must be postmarked by this date.
Download the guidance counselor form here.
POSTED 12/5/25: Atrium Health Scholarship - The Charlotte Knights and Atrium Health are dedicated to providing educationalopportunities to the youth in our communities.
To improve education funding for high school students interested in pursuing a career in healthcare, the Knights and Atrium Health have committed to providing three $1,000 college scholarships to local high school seniors.
To be considered for this year’s scholarship class, please complete the following application.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS SCHOLARSHIP REQUIRES A COUNSELOR REPORT. SO THAT MEANS YOU NEED TO LET ME KNOW IN PLENTY OF TIME IF YOU ARE APPLYING FOR THIS SCHOLARSHIP.
The deadline to apply is 11:59 PM on Monday, April 6th, 2026. Additional materials must be postmarked by this date.
Download the guidance counselor form here.
POSTED 11/19/25: NC Assist No Essay scholarship contest - You can enter each month to try and win a $1,000 scholarship.
POSTED 10/30/25: BigSun Scholarship - The BigSun Organization is proud to be able to continue to help young athletes succeed in their academic pursuits. We are offering an annual scholarship to a deserving student. All student athletes are eligible for this award, regardless of which sport they are participating in or what their capacity in that sport is. Deadline - June 19, 2026 Amount of Award - $500.00
The successful applicant will be a high school senior or be attending a post secondary institute and currently involved in some sport at that institution or in the community..
Please visit our website at http://www.bigsunathletics.com to learn how to apply.
POSTED 10/24/25: The Next NC Scholarship is a financial aid program that helps most North Carolinians from households making $80,000 or less pursue higher education. Students attending a community college will receive at least $3,000 per year. Those attending a public university in North Carolina will get a minimum of $5,000 per year. The best part? It’s money that doesn’t have to be repaid.
In order to qualify for this scholarship you must fill out the FAFSA. The steps to complete this process are below. If you need any help please let me know.
STEP 1 - apply for a FSA ID. You will need to provide a personal email (it needs to be yours), cell phone number, birthday and social security number.
https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch
STEP 2 - Log into the FAFSA application using the username and password you created in step 1. Complete FAFSA. You will need to enter a parent's personal information including email address.
https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
STEP 3 - The parent you entered in Step 2 must complete their part. They will be emailed a link with directions.
POSTED 9/25/25: The FAFSA application is now open. You do not need to be accepted to a school to complete this application. Financial aid can be used at any educational institution that accepts aid. Many scholarship programs require applicants to complete the FAFSA.
To find out if you qualify for financial aid (Grants, Loans, work study, Scholarships from the state or federal government, etc) students/parents must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application.
You will complete the 2026-27 application.
There are several steps that must be followed in order to apply for financial aid.
STEP 1 - apply for a FSA ID. You will need to provide a personal email (it needs to be yours), cell phone number, birthday and social security number.
https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch
STEP 2 - Log into the FAFSA application using the username and password you created in step 1. Complete FAFSA. You will need to enter a parent's personal information including email address.
https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
STEP 3 - The parent you entered in Step 2 must complete their part. They will be emailed a link with directions.
POSTED 9/2/25: Scholarship matching at Common App - Scholarship matching is now live for the season! As students complete their Common App, they will automatically be connected to scholarships for which they are eligible. Last year, this feature helped students secure over $5.5 million in awards, and we are excited to continue expanding access to these opportunities.
Here’s how it works for students:
Create a first-year student account
Complete the Profile and Education questions in My Common Application
Receive notifications about scholarship match opportunities in the Financial Aid section
Apply for opportunities on scholarship provider sites
Learn more about scholarship matching
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