Scholarship Corner: College Funding for Coastal NC Students
College plans need a funding plan. Scholarship Corner brings application links, deadlines, and clear next steps together for students and families across Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender counties.
100 Black Men of Coastal North Carolina prioritizes opportunities relevant to Black students, HBCU pathways, and students facing financial barriers. We also share strong scholarships open to a broader group of applicants. Each sponsor sets its own eligibility rules.
Source check: October 24, 2026. Sponsor pages list these applications as open. Review the deadline and the official requirements for each award before applying.
Scholarship Corner: deadline approaching
 | Ron Brown Scholarship |
Award and deadline: $40,000 over four years, paid as $10,000 annually. The student application is due December 1, 2026. The sponsor does not state a submission time or time zone on its public page. There were 38 calendar days remaining on October 24.
Who can apply: Black/African American high school seniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and demonstrate academic strength, leadership, community service, and financial need. The award supports any academic major at an accredited four-year U.S. college or university. Current college students are not eligible.
Prepare: The sponsor's FAQ lists three essays of about 500 words each, a transcript, and two recommendations. At least one recommender must be a high school counselor, teacher, or principal. Submit the student application by December 1; supporting transcripts and recommendations are due December 15. SAT and ACT scores are optional. Follow the live portal's full checklist.
Scholarship Corner: HBCU opportunities
 | FOSSI: Future of STEM Scholars Initiative |
Award and deadline: $10,000 per year for four years, totaling $40,000. Apply by January 8, 2027. The public page does not state a cutoff time or time zone. There were 76 calendar days remaining on October 24.
Who can apply: Incoming college freshmen who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, have at least a 3.0 unweighted high school GPA, demonstrate financial need, and plan to study an approved STEM major at an HBCU. Applicants should have an interest in a related chemical-industry career. HBCU attendance and an approved major are required throughout the award period.
Before applying: Check the approved-major list. Not every STEM field qualifies. The sponsor lists exclusions affecting children of executive-level participants and scholarship reviewers. FOSSI is available to anyone meeting its criteria; HBCU-focused does not mean race-exclusive. Review the form for required uploads.
 | Kerry L. Shipman Persistence Scholarship |
Award and deadline: Five awards of $500 each. Apply by March 8, 2027. The listing does not state a cutoff time or time zone. There were 135 calendar days remaining on October 24.
Who can apply: High school seniors or undergraduate students from North Carolina or South Carolina who attend or plan to attend an HBCU and demonstrate financial need. The listing emphasizes persistence, responsibility, and commitment to completing an education. It does not state a race restriction or minimum GPA.
Prepare: A 400–600-word essay about a challenge, your response, current responsibilities, and the role an HBCU education will play in your goals. One recommendation letter is required. Applications are managed on Bold.org, not by the chapter.
Scholarship Corner: college access and leadership
 | Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship |
Award and deadline: Up to $35,000 over four years, with mentoring and career support. Apply by January 14, 2027, at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. There were 82 calendar days remaining on October 24.
Who can apply: Graduating high school seniors who are U.S. citizens, demonstrate financial need, academic excellence, leadership, and service, and plan to attend an accredited, JRF-approved four-year college. Applicants must not have earned more than 25% of the credits needed for a college degree. Check the sponsor’s FAQ for its limited prior-year graduate exception. The current public eligibility list does not state a racial restriction.
Prepare: A transcript, ACT or SAT scores, one recommendation, activities and household information, college plans, a CSS Profile, and three brief essays. All required materials share the deadline. Writing must be the student’s own; the sponsor permits AI only for limited uses such as spelling and grammar edits.
 | GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program |
Award and deadline: $10,000, renewable for up to three additional years for a maximum of $40,000. Apply by January 7, 2027, at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. There were 75 calendar days remaining on October 24.
Who can apply: U.S.-citizen high school seniors graduating in winter 2026 or spring 2027 with at least a 3.0 GPA and plans for full-time study at an accredited U.S. four-year college in 2027–28. Candidates demonstrate leadership, service, integrity, and drive. This is a broadly open national opportunity, not a Black-student-only scholarship. Review the portal’s employee and immediate-family exclusions.
Prepare: School, household, and financial information; activities, service, and work history; a leadership/service essay; and a goals statement. Semifinalists provide a transcript, recommendation, values statement, and financial documents later. Financial circumstances are one part of the review, not a stated fixed-income cutoff.
Mentors and families: help turn a listing into an application
Start with one scholarship that fits. Read the requirements with your student, note what is needed, and agree on a check-in date. Ask recommenders early. Help students review their work while keeping their choices, writing, and submission in their own hands.
Before you share personal information
Apply through the sponsor or its named application platform. No chapter login is needed to use this resource. An application platform may require its own account. Do not send Social Security numbers, financial-aid documents, or private application materials to the chapter through comments or general email.
These are external scholarships, not awards funded or administered by 100 Black Men of Coastal North Carolina. Listing an opportunity is not a promise of an award or an endorsement of every sponsor position. Sponsor rules and current application instructions control.
Image credits
Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1954. Photo: Bob Sandberg / LOOK Magazine Photograph Collection, Library of Congress; restoration by Adam Cuerden. Public-domain image via Wikimedia Commons.
Scholarship images identify the opportunities; they do not imply sponsorship of this chapter by the providers.
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