The starting point
Public flagship where merit aid is heavily concentrated in three high-ceiling competitive programs — Park Scholarships (full COA × 4 years for ~40 winners), Goodnight Scholars ($24,000/year for NC residents in STEM with AGI ≤ $120K), and the Caldwell Fellows leadership development tier — with thinner automatic merit beneath. NC State explicitly does NOT auto-fund National Merit Finalists.
Selection beyond grades and scores. These awards are not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read each award's selection rules, application steps and dates. Meeting a minimum is not an award offer.
Awards to discuss
First 3 of 9 recorded awards, in chapter display order. This is a selection, not a ranking. Read the full chapter for all awards. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.
Park Scholarships
Full cost of attendance for 4 years (tuition, fees, housing, food, books, personal expenses) + educational trips, retreats, seminars + enrichment grants for study abroad/research/service/conferences + individualized faculty mentoring · Published coverage or package
Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.
Eligibility: Apply for fall, first-year admission to NC State (transfer students NOT eligible). Submit Park Scholarships application by Nov. 1 (separate from NC State's general application). Two recommendations, two essays, advanced coursework information, NC State short-answer essays, ACT/SAT scores. Selection includes Semifinal Interviews and on-campus Final Selection Activities. Need-based travel stipends available for finalists.
Renewal: Renewable for 4 years subject to academic performance and program participation
Other terms: NC State's flagship merit award. Selection criteria: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Approximately 40 awarded annually. One of the most prestigious and comprehensive undergraduate merit programs in the United States. Available to both NC residents and nonresidents.
https://park.ncsu.edu/apply/
Goodnight Scholars Program (NC Residents)
$24,000/year for 4 years (8 semesters; $96,000 total) · Published award terms
Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.
Eligibility: North Carolina resident graduating from a North Carolina high school (regardless of immigration or visa status). Adjusted Gross Income ≤ $120,000. Intended major in STEM or STEM education. Mid-December invitation issued to ~1,600 prospective NC State applicants; ~180 finalists invited to Finalist Interview Day in late February; recipients selected in early March; April 15 acceptance deadline. Application due mid-January.
Renewal: Renewable for up to 4 years for first-year recipients; 2 years for transfer recipients. Maintain academic standing.
Other terms: One of the most generous AGI-gated STEM scholarships in the country. Funded by NC State alumni Jim Goodnight ('65) and Ann Goodnight ('68). Companion Goodnight Transfer Scholars Program offers similar structure for community-college transfers.
https://goodnight.ncsu.edu/apply/first-year/
Caldwell Fellows
Three years of stipend split 70-30 between tuition and experiential learning funds; specific dollar figure varies year to year · Variable or qualified amount
Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.
Eligibility: First-year NC State students only (not eligible from high school directly; selection happens after first semester at NC State). Application portfolio includes essays, short video, recommendation letters, first-semester NC State transcript with minimum 3.25 GPA. Standardized test scores and high school transcripts are NOT reviewed. Application opens January each year. ~30 Fellows selected per class.
Renewal: Renewable for 3 years contingent on maintaining program ideals and cumulative GPA ≥ 3.25
Other terms: The only university-wide merit scholarship at NC State funded by alumni and supporters. Focus on Robert Greenleaf-style Servant Leadership development. Caldwell Fellows participate in community service-learning, wilderness adventure, international engagement, and capstone training at the Center for Creative Leadership. ~30 Fellows per class.
https://caldwellfellows.ncsu.edu/
