Explore scholarship opportunities at Wilson Community College to help fund your education.
Balancing school, work, and life is challenging, but financial barriers shouldn’t hold you back. Scholarships provide funding for students of all backgrounds. Take advantage of these opportunities and invest in your future by applying today!
Degree, Diploma, and Certificate Scholarships
Numerous scholarship opportunities are available throughout the academic year to assist students with educational expenses while enrolled at Wilson Community College.
Wilson Community College offers a number of scholarships through the WCC Foundation each year. Students must complete an application to be considered for a WCC Scholarship.
Application Opens: April 1, 2026
Application Deadline: August 21, 2026
WCC 2026-2027 Scholarship Application
Scholarship Recipients
View a list of previous scholarship recipients.
For More Information, Contact:
North Carolina Community Foundation (NCCF)
The North Carolina Community Foundation partners with donors to administer scholarship funds for the benefit of students across the state.
All of our scholarship opportunities are established through specific funds established at NCCF with criteria determined by the donor.
Most NCCF scholarships opened 2025 applications on Jan. 7 and closed on March 3.
*Note that this scholarship is not affiliated with Wilson Community College.
Students attending Wilson Community College may receive up to $3,000 in a new scholarship opportunity. If approved, that is more than the cost of full-time tuition at WCC. This means you may have up to 100% of your tuition and fees paid. In addition to tuition, it may include fees, books, food, and housing. Students that have greater financial hardships could qualify for even more assistance to ease the burden of paying for college.
To receive the Next NC Scholarship, you must be:
- A North Carolina resident who is eligible for in-state tuition
- A high school graduate (high school equivalency completers are eligible)
- From a household with an annual Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $80,000 or less
- Enrolled in an eligible undergraduate curriculum program for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Taking at least 6 credit hours per semester (part-time students will receive a partial award)
- Meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards of the school you plan to attend
- A student who has completed the 2024-2025 FAFSA, with a resulting Student Aid Index (SAI) at or below 7,500 (once complete, the financial aid office at the college/university you plan to attend will determine and confirm eligibility.)
- For a deeper look at the eligibility requirements, explore the full details.
For questions regarding the Next NC Scholarship, please contact the Financial Aid office at 252-246-1344 or financial_aid@wilsoncc.edu.
$5,000 Scholarship
The SECU Foundation takes an active role in assisting communities across North Carolina because we believe in “People Helping People®.” SECU Foundation established the two-year scholarship program to assist North Carolina Community College System students in achieving academic success.
Deadline: June 30
Eligibility requirements:
- Currently attending or accepted to attend one
of the 58 North Carolina Community Colleges. - North Carolina resident and eligible for in-state
tuition. - An applicant or full-time student who is a high
school graduate (or has completed their GED),
enrolled in an associate degree, diploma, or
certificate program. - Demonstrates academic achievement
with a 2.5 or higher unweighted GPA
on a 4.0 scale. - Exhibits leadership, excellence of
character, integrity, and community
involvement. - Filed FAFSA as part of their college
application.
Wilson Community College has a limited number of Golden Leaf scholarships available. Students enrolled in a curriculum program meeting the following criteria may apply for the scholarship.
Eligible students must:
- Be enrolled at least full-time for fall and spring; Grants for less-than-full-time students will be prorated based on hours of enrollment and pending availability of funds;
- Demonstrate financial need as determined by the FAFSA;
- Be a resident of North Carolina; and
- Reside in a rural county that is tobacco-dependent, or economically distressed, as determined by the Golden LEAF Foundation. Please review the list of eligible counties here.
Application Deadline: October 1, 2026
2026-2027 Golden LEAF Scholarship Application
For questions regarding the Golden LEAF Scholarship, please contact the Financial Aid office at 252-246-1344 or financial_aid@wilsoncc.edu.
Wilson Community College & Wilson Medical Center have partnered to establish a Scholarship Program for Nursing students and Surgical Technology students. This scholarship provides financial assistance to eligible students in exchange for a work commitment at Wilson Medical Center upon graduation.
In order to be eligible for the scholarship:
- Students must be enrolled or accepted into the Surgical Technology, Practical Nursing, or Associate Degree Nursing Program
- Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in prerequisite and nursing coursework
- Exhibit a commitment to serve Wilson County and advocate and advance patient care by evidence of completing 20 hours of volunteer work related to promoting health and wellness in Wilson County, before applying for the scholarship.
- Commit to working at WMC for a minimum of two years upon obtaining a Registered Nurse (RN) license or a Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) license, or becoming a Surgical Technologist and successfully completing WMC’s new graduate orientation process/program.
- Successfully pass a background check and drug screening.
- Have no record of disciplinary concerns with the college or health science programs. If an applicant is currently employed by Wilson Medical Center, they must be an employee in good standing.
- Submit a personal statement outlining their commitment to nursing and community healthcare.
- Provide two letters of recommendation, one from an academic instructor and one from a professional or community leader.
Scholarship Benefits
- $7,500.00 tuition coverage for the Surgical Technology Scholarship nursing program.
- $10,000.00 tuition coverage for the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Practical Nursing Diploma(PN).
- Guaranteed employment at Wilson Medical Center (WMC) upon successful completion of the program, licensure, and meeting WMC’s employment procedures.
- Clinical training opportunities at WMC during the surgical technology program.
Apply Now!
- Practical Nursing (PN) Scholarship
- Associate Degree Nursing Program (ADN) Scholarship
- Surgical Technology Scholarship
Ongoing Eligibility
To maintain the scholarship, recipients must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher, and the Dean of Health Sciences will provide semester updates to WMC regarding any student who has lost eligibility through program dismissal or any other eligibility violations.
For More Information, Contact:
Need help paying for your education or training? The Train the East Grant provides financial assistance to eligible Wilson Community College students enrolled in approved short-term training, degree, and diploma programs.
Eligible students may receive up to $1,500 per semester toward an approved course or program. Students in degree and diploma programs must be enrolled at Wilson Community College and have a completed FAFSA on file.
Visit the Train the East Grant page to learn more about eligibility, approved programs, and how to apply.
Short-Term Training Scholarships
Wilson Community College offers scholarship and financial aid opportunities available to students enrolled in select short-term training programs. The scholarships and financial aid listed below are dependent on the type and length of the class, and the award criteria established by the funding agency. Eligible courses are listed under each scholarship. Funding is limited and is not guaranteed.
The SECU Foundation has established the SECU Bridge to Career Program to help remove financial barriers for students seeking to obtain state-regulated or industry-recognized credentials through the Workforce Continuing Education Division of their local Community College that lead to sustainable wage careers within their local communities.
$500.00 scholarships are available to students during the fall 2026 and spring 2027 semesters. This is a reimbursement scholarship, to apply students must register and have paid for their qualifying Short -Term Training Course.
Courses eligible for SECU funding:
- AEMT
- Biowork Process Technician
- Central Sterile Processing Technician
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant
- Certified EKG Technician
- Community Health Worker
- EMT
- FAA Remote (Drone) Pilot
- Intro to Early Childhood Education
- Natural Hair Specialist
- Nurse Aide I
- Nurse Aide II
- OpTic Fiber Technician
- Paramedic
- Pharamcy Technician
- Phlebotomy Technician
- Real Estate Provision Broker (Pre-Licensing)
- ServSafe Food Manager
- Small Engine Repair
- Wastwater Operator Certification
State Employee’s Credit Union- Bridge to Career 2026-2027
For more information contact:
In 2021, the General Assembly has allocated funding for the next two years to the N.C. Community College System (NCCCS) for eligible students pursuing high-demand workforce training programs within workforce pathways identified in collaboration with the Department of Commerce that lead to a State or industry-recognized credential. These funds are intended to remove access barriers to high-quality, in-demand, sustaining wage careers for North Carolinians. Through this program, each college is able to determine grant award amounts based on student needs, local industry needs, number of eligible students, and cost of the course/pathway, up to a maximum award of $750 per course. These grants help address the cost of tuition/registration fees, course fees, books, supplies, credentialing tests, transportation, childcare, and any other components of the total cost of attendance.
Students applying for this scholarship must be a resident of North Carolina and have established residency under the centralized residency determination process administered by the State Education Assistance Authority known as the NC Residency Determination Service (RDS). Applicants can complete the residency determination process at CFNC. Applicants will be required to have an RDN number at the time of registration.
Courses eligible for STWD funding:
- Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT)
- BioWork Process Technician
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant
- Certified EKG Technician
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Natural Hair Care Specialist
- Nurse Aide I
- Nurse Aide II
- OpTIC Fiber Technician
- Paramedic
- Pharmacy Technician
- Phlebotomy
- Wastewater Operator Level III & IV
For more information contact:
Students enrolling in Workforce Continuing Education (WCE) pathways/courses offered for 96 hours or more, and leading to a State or industry-recognized credential may be eligible to receive grants of up to $1850 annually. The scholarships help cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, supplies, credentialing tests, transportation, childcare, and other components of the total cost of attendance for the 2025-2026 fall, spring, and summer semesters.
Eligible students must:
(1) be a North Carolina resident,
(2) demonstrate financial need, and
(3) reside in a rural county that is tobacco dependent, or economically distressed, as determined by the Golden LEAF Foundation.
Courses eligible for Golden LEAF funding:
- Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT)
- Biowork Process Technician
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant
- Certified EKG Technician
- Cosmetology I
- Cosmetology II
- Cosmetology III
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Fire Academy
- Natural Hair I
- Natural Hair II
- Nurse Aide I
- Nurse Aide II
- Paramedic
- Pharmacy Technician
- Phlebotomy
2025-2026 Short-Term Training Golden LEAF Scholarship
For more information contact:
Need help paying for your education or training? The Train the East Grant provides financial assistance to eligible Wilson Community College students enrolled in approved short-term training, degree, and diploma programs.
Eligible students may receive up to $1,500 per semester toward an approved course or program.
Visit the Train the East Grant page to learn more about eligibility, approved programs, and how to apply.