According to Jim Broschart, associate vice chancellor for university development, students should not expect fewer scholarship opportunities for the upcoming fall semester as the department has seen no decrease in scholarships funding since the pandemic. The University’s endowment has actually grown this year, according to Broschart.
“We have not experienced a decrease in philanthropic giving associated with the pandemic,” Broschart said. “Our alumni and friends continue to support our students through philanthropy. Our donors currently support NC State and its students at a rate that exceeds our three-year average.”
Broschart said scholarship funding is a priority to NC State, and during the Day of Giving in September 2020, the University launched an effort called the Extraordinary Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (EOSI), which was specifically aimed at increasing need-based scholarship funds for NC State students.
$7.2 million in endowed funds have been donated for need-based scholarships since the launch of the EOSI, and leading donors committed $5.3 million to establish a matching pool, according to Broschart.
There is also financial aid support available for students who are facing emergency costs due to COVID-19. The application for the COVID University Relief HEERF II Emergency Grant, or CURE2, is open on MyPack Portal under financial aid. The funds can be used to cover tuition, technology, housing, food, medical expenses or other emergency costs due to the pandemic.
According to Krista Ringler, associate vice provost and director of the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, the one change students can expect when it comes to NC State scholarships is an updated question in the general scholarship application, which now pertains to COVID-19 and how students have been impacted.
“We have updated the questions to collect information about the impact of the coronavirus on applicants,” Ringler said. “We know that the virus has changed the types and number of extracurricular and other experiences students could take part in. We also know the last year of virtual education has affected some students’ ability to demonstrate their academic achievement.”
Students can apply by logging in to PackAssist at go.ncsu.edu/packassist. They can also apply for other forms of financial assistance by completing the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.gov. The priority application date for NC State’s general scholarship application was Feb. 15, but students can still apply. NC State’s priority application date for the FAFSA is March 1.
