NC People Helping People Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by State Employees’ Credit Union

Program overview
The SECU Foundation created the People Helping People Scholarship as a four-year award to support graduating public high school students across North Carolina in pursuing college. The Foundation is committed to community advancement and the People Helping People philosophy. Each of the state’s 115 Local Education Agencies (LEAs)/school districts is allocated at least one scholarship intended for a senior who will attend one of the 16 constituent campuses of the University of North Carolina System.

Purpose
While academic performance is acknowledged, the People Helping People Scholarship primarily honors students who demonstrate leadership, integrity, and sustained community involvement.

Eligibility requirements
Applicants must meet all of the following at the time of application:
- Be a graduating senior from a North Carolina public high school.
- Be either a member of the State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) or the child of a parent/guardian who is an SECU member. (Membership through Local Government Federal Credit Union or NC Press Association Credit Union does not qualify.)
- Have been accepted to one of the 16 constituent campuses of the University of North Carolina System; a copy of the university acceptance letter must be submitted.
- Be a North Carolina resident as defined by NCGS 116-143.1 and eligible for in-state tuition.
- Have an unweighted GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
- Plan to use the award for full-time tuition and fees.
Note: Preference will be given to applicants whose parent(s), guardian(s), or other family members are public-sector employees (state, local, or federal government; public health; or public education) living and working in North Carolina, and to those intending to pursue degrees in public service fields (for example: Public Health, Education, Public Administration, Public Policy).

Financial need and other awards
Submission of a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is not required but will be considered by the selection committee as evidence of financial need. Recipients should generally not be the beneficiary of other substantial scholarships.

Selection process and nondiscrimination
Each LEA Scholarship Selection Committee will review eligible applicants in their senior class and select the recipient(s) they deem most deserving. The committee’s intent is to identify a student who best embodies SECU’s People Helping People values—leadership, strong character, integrity, and meaningful community service—while also meeting academic standards. Selection will be made without regard to race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, or disability. The criteria are intended to provide flexibility to the LEA committee in awarding the scholarship.

Scholarship award and renewal conditions
- Award amount: $1,250 per semester.
- Renewal: Recipients in good academic standing may receive funding for up to eight (8) consecutive fall/spring semesters at the same university (a total of four academic years), provided they remain full-time students and maintain a 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA.
- Transfer and enrollment interruptions:
- Scholarships are not transferable without prior written approval from the SECU Foundation.
- A written appeal requesting approval to transfer must be submitted to the SECU Foundation before any transfer takes place.
- If a student transfers to an institution outside the UNC System, the scholarship becomes ineligible after the transfer.
- Any break in active enrollment will make the student ineligible for scholarship payments for each semester missed.

Conflicts of interest and ineligible applicants
The scholarship is not available to SECU or SECU Foundation directors, employees, or to family members of those directors or employees, nor to family members of anyone serving on the scholarship selection committee. For this program, “family member” includes a spouse; parents; siblings; children; grandchildren and great-grandchildren; spouses of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; and any person living in the same household who shares a single economic unit with a director, employee, or selection committee member. Importantly, regardless of the above, to be considered for the scholarship a student must be an SECU member or eligible for membership through a parent or guardian at the time of application.

Application instructions
All applicants must follow the SECU Foundation’s formal application procedure. Graduating seniors who meet the stated requirements will be eligible for consideration by their LEA Scholarship Selection Committee. A copy of the university acceptance letter and any other materials requested in the official application must be submitted as instructed.