At CardsDirect our job is to capture a moment that resonates with our customers and present it through our greeting cards. We want your help designing our next top-selling holiday card – and are proud to offer our scholarship program. The winner of our Future Designer Scholarship will receive a $1,000 scholarship to a secondary institution of their choice and will have their design featured as products on our site. Applicants must be at least 17 years old and already accepted or enrolled in this educational organization. One entry per person. Click here for official rules and details. Scroll down to see previous winners for inspiration!

Due Date: 05/01/2026

1. Download and fill out the appropriate Scholarship form:

2. Gather the following documents:

• Cover letter

• Resume

• A 500 words essay about who you are and why you want to get this scholarship, what are your goals?

• Transcripts

• Two letters of recommendation from counselors or teachers

The response to these two questions

• What are your greatest challenges as a student?

• What are your greatest accomplishments as a student?

Selection Criteria:

• • Must be of Latino origin

• • Must have a minimum GPA of 3.5

• • Must be a North Carolina resident and must have graduated from a North Carolina high school

Due Date: 05/01/2026

1. Must be a resident of North Carolina.

2. Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (Unweighted).

3. Must supply a copy of the Federal Application for Student Aid Report. The students need criteria 

 will be considered.

4. Students must be active in the community, church, and/or school activities.

5. The student must have no felony convictions or convictions of serious misdemeanors. The student 

must also have no pending criminal matters.

6. The student must not have exceeded 24 years of age by the application deadline. 

7. The most recent official high school and or college transcripts must accompany each application, 

complete with 4 reference letters and SAT/ACT scores.

8. Two scholarships of $1000 dollars will be awarded to the top two applicants

Due Date: 05/01/2026

     Established by Greater Than Gatsby as part of a new initiative to establish a channel of support for the next generation, the Greater Than Gatsby Annual Scholarship supports the future of visual art and content creators.  Greater Than Gatsby was born in 2012. Today, we are one of the leading creators worldwide of Innovative, professional and high-quality and Lightroom Presets and Photoshop Actions. Two (2) recipients will receive $1,000 USD each to be used to help pay their tuition and academic expenses to an accredited non-profit college/university or vocational/technical school in the United States.

Due Date: 05/01/2026

*You must be majoring in any type of art, communications, english, film, fine arts, journalism, multimedia, photography and visual arts.

     This scholarship is for a total of $10,000 paid out in payments of $2500 over 4 years to athletes seeking to play at a collegiate level.

     Born May 20, 1965 in Newton, NC to the late Butch Beard and Judy Beard, Mike Beard was a Conover, NC resident with a passion for family, community, and scholastic athletics. Upon graduating third in the ‘83 class from Bunker Hill High School, Mike attended Davidson College, where he played football and graduated with a degree in Economics in ‘87. A year later, Mike married his high school sweetheart, Barbara Strong, and moved to Rowan County where he began a career in freight sales with Roadway. As the father of two sons -- Cameron and Mason -- Mike was involved with and supported community schools and sports for nearly twenty years after moving back to Catawba County. Upon his passing in December 2021 after a battle with Amyloidosis, Athletes Lab, in conjunction with the Athletes Lab Foundation, established the Mike Beard Memorial Scholarship to honor his life, his memory, and the things he cherished most. 

• NC students only

• Must have an unweighted GPA OF 3.8 or weighted GPA of 4.2

• Must have signed an NLI to play a college sport

Due Date: 05/01/2026

This scholarship is for seniors attending Appalachian State University. It was established by the family of the late Norman Cheek. Mr. Cheek was very involved with Project Graduation during his life, not only in Ashe County, but in Watauga and Caldwell counties also. From his past experiences, he saw the need for a safe graduation night celebration for teens and their guests. One of his closest friends lost his son on graduation night in a car accident. 

This is a $3,000 per year scholarship, renewable for four years, totaling $12,000. The winner, per Mr. Cheek’s request, will be announced at Project Graduation.

Due Date: 05/14/2026

*Please turn in Completed Applications to Mrs. Molly Porter 

The Billy Jones Memorial Scholarship was created to assist students that are the children of active linemen interested in pursuing a college education. Five $2,000 scholarships will be offered to qualifying students to pursue their education in a secondary school.

This scholarship honors the many years of dedication, hard work and support of Billy Jones. Billy was a member of the Fallen Linemen Foundation board from its inception. His insight, humor and passion were treasured by all who knew him.

This scholarship is made possible by contributions from ElectriCities and NCAMES.

Must be:

• Be a child of a lineman

• Be a high school senior or have a high school diploma from an accredited school or GED equivalent

• Have completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application

Due Date: 05/31/2026