DURHAM – Starting in fall 2018, NC Central University and NC A&T State University will offer elite, Morehead-Cain-style merit scholarships to their very best students.

In 2016, the NC General Assembly created the four-year scholarships and named them for Henry Cheatham and George White, African-Americans who represented North Carolina in Congress from 1889-93 and 1897-1901, respectively.¹

The scholarships – with an estimated cash value of $75,000 – will cover tuition, room and board, student fees, books, a laptop computer, supplies and personal expenses, including four summer experiences that could include international studies.

The legislature provided funds for as many as 20 scholarships at each of the two universities.  Each institution was required to raise private donations to match the state’s dollars.

While NCCU already tries to recruit the best students, NCCU Chancellor Johnson Akinleye says in the accompanying video, the Cheatham-White Scholarships will allow the university to recruit even more.

Minimum requirements are a 4.0 weighted GPA in high school and a score of 1280 on the SAT or 28 on the ACT.  Applicants are expected to show leadership potential and be involved in extracurricular activities and public service.

“It’s also a recognition on the part of the legislators that NCCU and North Carolina A&T are top-notch institutions that are deserving of the best students by providing this opportunity,” Akinleye says.

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¹Cheatham:  http://history.house.gov/People/Detail?id=10878; White:  http://history.house.gov/People/Detail?id=23657.