Scholarship Opportunities

SECU Foundation established the People Helping People four-year scholarship program to help North Carolina public high school students attend college. SECU Foundation takes an active role in assisting communities across North Carolina and truly believes in “People Helping People.” Each of the 115 North Carolina Local Education Agencies (“LEAs”)/School Districts will receive a minimum of one scholarship for a senior to attend one of the 16 constituent campuses of the University of North Carolina System. Although the SECU Foundation Scholarship program recognizes academic achievement, the People Helping People Scholarship has a much broader purpose - recognizing leadership, integrity and community involvement. 

The SECU Foundation People Helping People Scholarship is only available to graduating public high school seniors who are either current members of State Employees’ Credit Union (“SECU”) or the child of a parent/guardian who is a member of SECU at the time of application. Membership eligibility does not include Local Government Federal Credit Union or NC Press Association Credit Union members. 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. Additionally, preference will be given to those majoring in public service degree programs (such as Public Health, Education, Public Administration, and Public Policy). While not a requirement, identification of a financial need, as determined by submission of a Free Application for Federal student Aid (FAFSA), will be taken into consideration by the selection committee. Scholarship recipients in good academic standing will be able to receive the scholarship up to a maximum of eight (8) consecutive semesters at the same university. Students selected should not be the recipient of other large scholarships. 

We require all applicants to follow the formal application process set by the SECU Foundation. All graduating seniors meeting the stated criteria will be eligible for consideration. The criteria have been designed to give the LEA Scholarship Selection Committee flexibility in awarding the scholarship. The LEA Scholarship Selection Committee will recognize an individual in the senior graduating class deserving of an opportunity to attend college and will select recipient(s) without regard to race, sex, color, creed, religious preference, age, national origin or disability. The LEA Scholarship Selection Committee will use the following criteria to award the SECU Foundation People Helping People Scholarship to a recipient who: 

1. Is either an SECU member or is eligible for membership through a parent/guardian. The student or their parent/guardian must be an SECU member at the time of application. 

2. Is a senior at a North Carolina public high school who has been accepted to one of the 16 constituent campuses of the University of North Carolina System; copy of acceptance letter must be provided. 

3. Is a resident of North Carolina under NCGS 116-143.1 and is eligible for in-state tuition. 

4. Best exemplifies the “People Helping People” philosophy of SECU, and has demonstrated leadership, excellence of character, integrity, and community involvement. 

5. Demonstrates scholastic achievement with a maintained 2.5 or higher unweighted grade point average on a 4.0 scale and may be deserving of financial aid. 

6. Will use the scholarship to pay for full-time undergraduate* student tuition and fees. 

7. Agrees to continue as a full-time student in good standing (maintaining 2.5 or higher GPA) with the same university for up to eight (8) consecutive fall/spring semesters, with the People Helping People scholarship amount payable at $1,250 per semester. Scholarships are not transferable without prior approval of SECU Foundation.
   a. A written appeal for transfer must be made to the SECU Foundation prior to transfer. 
   b. Any transfer to a university outside the UNC System will result in scholarship non-eligibility following the transfer. 
   c. Any gap in active enrollment will result in non-eligibility for funding for each semester missed. 

8. 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. However, please note that to be eligible for the scholarship, at the time of application, the student must be a member of SECU or be eligible for membership through a parent or guardian at the time of application to be eligible for the scholarship. 

The decision of the LEA Scholarship Selection Committee will be final if all requirements have been met. 

Q: What scholarships does SECU Foundation provide for North Carolina public high school students, and how much are the scholarships worth? 

The SECU Foundation People Helping People 4-year scholarship is valued at $10,000 and payable at $1,250 per semester, for a total of eight consecutive semesters. SECU Foundation does not select the recipients of the scholarship. Each LEA (Local Education Agency) or school district has a Scholarship Selection Committee that selects the recipients of the scholarship for the schools within their district. Recipients must be enrolled full-time for the entire eight consecutive semesters at one of the 16 universities in the UNC system. Recipients must continue as full-time students in good standing, with the exception of their final semester before graduating. SECU Foundation will recognize a “senior underloading” policy for students in their last semester prior to graduation, during which students will be considered full-time despite falling below the typical full-time credit hour requirement. 

Q: The criteria state recipients must be graduating seniors from a NC Public High School who have been accepted to attend one of the 16 constituent campuses of the UNC system. Which universities qualify as the 16 constituent campuses of the UNC system for this scholarship? 

Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, UNC School of the Arts, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, UNC at Asheville, UNC at Chapel Hill, UNC at Charlotte, UNC at Greensboro, UNC at Pembroke, UNC at Wilmington, Western Carolina University, and Winston-Salem State University. 

Q: Who is eligible for the scholarship? 

All graduating seniors from a North Carolina public high school who are either an SECU member or are eligible for membership through a parent/guardian and otherwise meet the eligibility criteria are considered for the SECU Foundation scholarship. Membership eligibility does not include Local Government Federal Credit Union or NC Press Association Credit Union members. Students attending private schools, being home schooled, going to out-of-state or private universities or residing out-of-state are not eligible for the People Helping People Scholarship. Please note, if selected as a recipient for the scholarship, proof of eligibility will be required. 

Q: How does one apply for the SECU People Helping People Scholarship? 

An application must be completed by the student. Applications may be obtained through the guidance office at the high school. Individual students may not submit information to the SECU Foundation to apply for the scholarship. Recipients are selected by a Scholarship Selection Committee at each LEA and once selected, their information is given to SECU Foundation for verification of SECU membership. No individual applications are reviewed by the Foundation. Students must contact their individual school’s guidance office to express interest in being considered for the scholarship. 

Q: What expenses do the scholarships cover? 

Scholarships are for full-time undergraduate tuition and fees.

Q: When is the SECU Foundation’s submission deadline for recipient names? 

Deadlines will vary slightly for application at each high school; please contact your local guidance office for application deadline. LEAs must notify SECU Foundation of the recipient winners no later than April 5, 2024. 

Q: How and when are the scholarship funds distributed? 

SECU Foundation contacts the financial aid office at the 16 UNC-System campuses each semester to verify each recipient’s continued full-time enrollment. Funds are distributed for spring and fall semesters after the registration period for each semester has ended and verification of enrollment is received from each university. Funds are paid directly to each university to be distributed to student accounts for tuition and fees in the amount of $1,250 per semester. The SECU Foundation will fund study abroad programs and internships only where the courses and professors are sanctioned by the university and the student is considered actively enrolled in the university during their participation. SECU Foundation will also fund full-time enrollment in summer school, but this payment will replace one of the recipient’s future payments. Payment will go to the university. 

Q: What happens if the recipient changes universities? 

Scholarships are not transferable to another university without prior approval of the SECU Foundation. 

1. A written appeal for transfer must be made to SECU Foundation prior to transfer. Appeals may be emailed to secufoundation@ncsecu.org. Please note, if a student transfers to a university outside of the 16 constituent campuses of the UNC System, he or she will no longer be scholarship eligible. 

2. After the request has been reviewed, the student will be notified in writing regarding the decision made by SECU Foundation. If accepted, confirmation of scholarship funding will also be sent to the university. Please note, SECU Foundation must receive proof of full-time status at the new university before any funds would be disbursed to the school. 

Q: If a student leaves their university for a semester, becomes part-time, or falls below the minimum 2.5 GPA, what happens to the funds for that semester? 

No lapse in proper registration, or break in consecutive semesters, will be allowed. Should a student be unable to attend for any reason or their GPA falls below a 2.5, scholarship funding for that semester would be forfeited and it would be the responsibility of the student to contact SECU Foundation directly to advise of their return to full-time status or updated academic standing. The scholarship does not extend beyond the eight consecutive semesters. 

Q: How does SECU Foundation define “full-time” status? 

SECU Foundation relies on the university to define and determine full-time status. Each semester the financial aid office at the 16 UNC-System university campuses reports to SECU Foundation the enrollment status for each of our scholarship recipients. Students should check with the financial aid office at their university if they have questions regarding enrollment status. 

Q: What happens if the scholarship recipient graduates early? 

If a student graduates early and enrolls in graduate school at one of the 16 UNC System universities, the student will still be eligible for scholarship payments if they are within their original 8 semesters of eligibility (the student will still need to be considered enrolled full-time as defined by the university and meet the GPA requirement). The student will need to notify SECU Foundation of their early graduation/graduate school enrollment so the Foundation may update its records. 

Q: How are "public sector" employees defined? 

Public sector employees include state, local or federal government, public health, and public education employees who live and work in North Carolina. Preference is to be given to students whose parents or guardians, and family members, are public sector employees who live and work in North Carolina. 

Q: The eligibility criteria state that a student cannot be a recipient of “other large scholarships”. Is there a cutoff for the amount a student can receive and still be eligible for the People Helping People Scholarship? 

Ultimately, SECU Foundation would like for each student awarded the People Helping People scholarship to be able to utilize the full scholarship payment each semester. If a student receives a scholarship that will not allow the People Helping People scholarship to be paid in full, we ask that they not be considered for the scholarship. SECU Foundation does not make decisions on what constitutes a “large” scholarship. 

Q: How does the SECU Foundation distribute scholarships to the Local Education Agencies (LEA)/school districts? 

SECU Foundation will award one $10,000 scholarship to each LEA. Additional scholarships will be awarded using a formula based on information provided by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) using the 12^th grade average daily membership (ADM) as a percentage of the statewide 12^th grade ADM. Please note this number is subject to change from year to year, based on fluctuation of ADM, therefore the number of scholarships awarded each LEA may change from year to year. 

Q: Can the SECU Foundation reverse decisions of recipients made by the LEA? 

The decision made by the Scholarship Selection Committee at each LEA is final and will not be reversed by the Foundation if all requirements, including scholarship eligibility requirements, have been met. 

Q: Who should applicants contact if they have any questions about the process? 

Students should contact the guidance office at their local high school if they have any questions about the scholarship. The guidance counselor will have a point of contact at the LEA that may be reached should the counselor need assistance in answering any questions. 

Thank you for your interest in SECU Foundation’s People Helping People Scholarship. To be eligible to receive this award, a student must be a member of SECU or be eligible for membership through a parent or guardian at the time of applying. Please follow these step-by-step instructions to verify that you meet the membership eligibility requirement. If the student or parent/guardian is not a member but is eligible for membership, they may first request membership either at an SECU branch or SECU’s Member Services. 

1. Follow this link to get started (the link will become live on December 18https://na4.docusign.net/Member/PowerFormSigning.aspx?PowerFormId=993c3d9b-80fd-4964-9c95-6ddd3aea54e5&env=na4&acct=6cba6c6f-fb7f-46b7-8eda-e0306bdd6276&v=2 ^th, 2023): 

2. You should see the page above. Enter your name and email address; if you are not a member of SECU but are eligible for membership through a parent/guardian, please also enter that person’s name and email under the “Parent” section and click “BEGIN SIGNING.” 

3. Click “GOT IT” and check the box agreeing to sign electronically. 

4. Click “CONTINUE.” 

5. You will then be taken to the Membership Verification Form seen above. Fill out all the required information (in the red boxes) and click “FINISH.” 

*If you provided a parent/guardian’s name/email on the original page, (s)he will also receive an emailed Membership Verification Form from dse_NA4@docusign.net and will need to fill it out and click “FINISH.” 

6. You will receive a copy of your completed Membership Verification Form---you may save this for your records, but this is not the form you will submit with your application materials. 

7. Within 48 hours you will receive an email from dse_NA4@docusign.net that either (a) states that you meet the membership eligibility requirement - you will submit the attached PDF confirmation with the rest of your application materials (the confirmation will look like the image below) OR (b) states that SECU is unable to verify that you meet the membership eligibility requirement – in this case, you will be encouraged to visit your local SECU branch to find out if you or your parent/guardian is eligible to obtain an SECU membership. Once you have identified the cause for receiving the email stating you do not meet the membership eligibility requirement and fixed the issue, you may restart the Membership Verification process by clicking on the link again. 

Please note the following: 

• The information you provide in the Membership Verification Form will only be seen by you and the SECU Member Support employee who verifies your membership eligibility (it will not be seen by DocuSign, your high school, or anyone else). 

• The SECU Member Support team is available 24 hours a day, so you may submit your Membership Verification Form at any time that is convenient to you. 

• If you receive an email stating that you do not meet the membership eligibility requirements and you believe this is an error, refer to the copy of your Membership Verification Form and make sure you entered each of the details correctly (ie. Social Security Number is correct; the address listed is the address associated with the SECU membership account; etc.). If these details were entered correctly, you are encouraged to visit your local SECU branch to discuss your membership eligibility. 

Application, Consent Form, and Attachments 

Once you have been confirmed as meeting the membership eligibility requirement, you will receive an email from MSS@ncsecu.org providing the DocuSign PowerForm link to the People Helping People application. 

1. You will once again enter your full name and your email address. If you are under 18 years old, please also provide the name and email address of a parent/guardian. You will only enter the name of a parent/guardian and his/her email address if you are under 18 years old. Once you have entered the necessary name(s)/email address(es), you will then select “BEGIN SIGNING.” 

2. Select “GOT IT”, click the box to indicate you agree to use electronic signatures, and then select “CONTINUE.” 

3. Read through the Consent Form and then provide your signature by selecting “SIGN” (you will be asked to adopt a signature and confirm). 

*If you are under 18 and you provide the name/email address for a parent/guardian, (s)he will be emailed their own Consent Form from dse_NA4@docusign.net; you will not be able to submit your application until your parent/guardian has completed their consent form. 

4. Once you have completed your Consent Form, you will then fill out your application. 

5. The last part of the application requires you to attach your essay, college acceptance letter (please make sure the acceptance letter matches the university listed in the application), and the membership confirmation letter. Once you have uploaded each document the corresponding paperclip image will turn gray. 

6. When you have answered each of the application questions and attached the required documents, you will click “FINISH.” 

7. You will receive your completed email packet from dse_NA4@docusign.net and then submit it to your school scholarship facilitator.

• SECU Scholarship Flyer
• SECU Scholarship FAQ
• SECU Scholarship Eligibility Criteria
• SECU Application Process

The scholarship is focused on area high school seniors planning to major in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) discipline or technical program at a North Carolina community college or university. All applications must be submitted by March 15, 2024.

• Applicants must be completing or have completed high school successfully with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. 
• Applicants must be accepted as a full-time student at a college or university for the upcoming academic semester. If scholarship money is awarded, this is the only program that will receive the funds on behalf of the applicant. 
• Applicants must plan to pursue studies at a North Carolina community college or university, and be majoring in a STEM program or technical skills program. 
• Applicants must plan to pursue studies in a field associated with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics), reliability engineering or operations management. 
• Applicants must be a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States. 
• Preference will be given to students who attended high school in Bladen, Robeson, or Cumberland counties.
• Applicants must complete and submit a scholarship application by March 15, 2024.
• A complete scholarship application must include all items on page 3 section 18.

Potential scholarship recipients must complete a scholarship application and email or mail it to the scholarship administrator (Sonya.A.Melvin@chemours.com) along with all supporting documentation by the established deadline of March 15, 2024. Scholarship decisions will be made by Spring 2024.

• Chemours awards scholarships based on a comprehensive evaluation process conducted by a cross-function committee drawn from the Chemours Vibrant Communities and Philanthropy Leadership Team, and the Chemours Fayetteville Works Community Support Team. 
• Areas that are reviewed by the committee include, but are not limited to, the following:  
  • Academic Accomplishments 
  • Reference letters 
  • STEM and future career aspirations expressed through above answers. 
  • Financial Need 
  • Bladen, Cumberland, or Robeson County resident 
• Chemours will pay the scholarship fund directly to the educational institution.  
• Scholarships are awarded annually and are based upon the availability of funds and additional qualifying criteria. 
• Maximum annual scholarship amount is $10,000.

Scholarship Application