Scholarships

SCC Foundation Scholarships:

The following is a brief description of scholarship programs for SCC students. Scholarships are gift money that does not need to be repaid as long as the student meets the eligibility criteria. Scholarships may be awarded based on financial need or some type of merit (such as academic), or a combination of the two. The Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA) is also required for many scholarship applications.

An alphabetical list of scholarships available through Southwestern Community College Foundation and other donors that have contacted us are listed below. Click on the scholarship title for more details. Students are encouraged to review the list to identify any scholarships they might be eligible for.  Flip through the links by using the arrows at the bottom of the sidebar. Please realize that in addition to the information in the descriptions, there may be eligibility requirements beyond those mentioned below. For complete scholarship and application information, you may come by the Financial Aid Office located in the Balsam Center or contact us at 828.339.4207 or 800.447.4091, ext. 4207. To apply for scholarships, visit https://southwesterncc.awardspring.com. The SCC scholarship application portal opens on February 1st. The deadline is typically in mid-April.

The Financial Aid Office may receive scholarships throughout the academic year. Please continue to check your student email or come by the Financial Aid Office for new scholarship information. Should funding for any scholarship become unavailable, that scholarship will not be awarded during the upcoming academic year.

Scholarship Web Searches:
The following are a few of the many search engines for scholarships known to us. We recommend that you always read all the details before you provide your personal information, and be sure you are willing to accept the provider's terms and conditions. Remember: never pay anyone to help you find free financial aid.

Every year, the North Carolina Community College System provides information about scholarships across the state through a yearly Scholarship Guide.  Students are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office if they are interested in any scholarships in the guide. 

Outside Scholarships:
Students are encouraged to pursue scholarship opportunities throughout their communities, from groups such as civic organizations and churches, and to research other national scholarships through reputable organizations and web sites. There are many organizations and agencies that offer scholarship information. SCC provides links to scholarship opportunities as a service to our students. SCC does not offer the scholarships, and has no responsibility for or involvement in the scholarship administration, selection and award processes. If you have questions about outside scholarships, please contact the company offering them. To view the outside scholarships we're currently aware of, please click here. 

Scholarships

Robert and Freda Hooper Scholarship
Fred & Robert Hooper

Robert & Freda Hooper had some very personal reasons for setting up a scholarship that will help current and future students succeed at Southwestern Community College.

The scholarship they endowed through the SCC Foundation is open to students enrolled in SCC's radiography and medical sonography programs. Following is a list of criteria:

  • Open to all Radiology and Medical Sonography students with priority given to Radiology students
  • Must demonstrate scholastic promise and ambition and maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA
  • Applicants are required to apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Here's a little background on the Hoopers and the reasons why they wanted to help our students:

Robert (Bob), as everyone called him, was born in Haywood County in 1937. He graduated from Waynesville Township High School in 1955 and from Wake Forest University in 1959.

After graduation, Bob worked at Champion in Waynesville until he was accepted at Bowman Gray School of Medicine. Some local friends helped pay his tuition and allowed him to pay them back without interest after he graduated.

Immediately after his graduation from medical school in 1964, he married Freda Breece and began his internship with the U.S. Army at Brooke General Hospital, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. After a three year residency in Radiology, Dr. Hooper was sent to Womack Army Hospital, Fort Bragg, NC where he served as the Chief of Radiology from August 1968 to 1970.

In 1970, he was deployed to the 85th Evacuation Hospital in Vietnam where he served as the Chief of Radiology until his discharge in 1971.While serving in Vietnam, Dr. Hooper was awarded the Bronze Star. Upon his discharge from the US Army, Dr. Hooper returned home to Haywood County. Shortly after his return, he was contacted by area hospitals that were in dire need of his services. Dr. Hooper worked at Haywood County Hospital, Swain County Hospital, Cherokee Indian Hospital, Highlands-Cashiers Hospital, District Memorial Hospital in Andrews and Harris Hospital in Sylva where he served as Chief of Radiology from 1971-1991. During that time, he was instrumental in establishing the Radiology program at Southwestern Community College and served on the Radiologic Technology Advisory Committee for several years. Mrs. Freda Hooper was also born in Haywood County in 1940 and, like her husband, graduated from Waynesville Township High School in 1958.

Without enough money for college, Freda began working in the office at Waynewood in Hazelwood. About a year later, she was hired by Dayco Corporation where she worked until 1964. While working at Dayco Corporation, the company covered the cost for her to study at Western Carolina University. Dr. and Mrs. Hooper were married in 1964 and moved to Texas before she could graduate. In Texas, Freda worked for Military Intelligence at Fort Sam Houston. Freda was determined to finish what she had started, and soon she graduated from San Antonio College with an associate degree in business.

After moving back to Waynesville, Freda returned to the classroom and earned a B.S. and a M.A. in Business Education from Western Carolina University. Dr. and Mrs. Hooper had two wonderful children and four grandchildren. The couple always supported each other and enjoyed a 48-year marriage. Dr. Hooper lost his battle with cancer in 2012. When Dr. Hooper established this endowment in 1988, he told his wife her name would be included because much of what he had accomplished would not have been possible without her. Dr. Hooper established a scholarship to help deserving students with financial need and who demonstrated an interest in the Radiologic Technology program. Dr. and Mrs. Hooper were always grateful for the opportunities they were given and for all the people who helped them along the way. This is their way of giving back. Mrs. Hooper stated, “I ask each person that receives this scholarship to help someone when you can, and God will bless
you as He has blessed us."

Robert Blanton Memorial Scholarship
  • Open to Jackson, Macon and Swain Counties including the Qualla Boundary
  • Students must have and maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA
  • Must be enrolled full-time (minimum 12 credit hours)
  • Must have applied for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Robert L. (Jack) and Dorothy B. Lyday Scholarship for Excellence
  • Applicants must be pursuing an associate degree
  • Applicants must have and maintain a 2.5 GPA or higher
  • Preference will be given to students with financial need
  • Preference will be given to students who have interests in community service and exhibit civic responsibility through involvement in their local communities, along with participation in voluntary associations which seek to improve communities and the lives of others
Rogers and Rita Shelton Memorial Scholarship
  • Applicants must have and maintain a 2.75 GPA or better
  • Preference for first-generation students
SCC Automotive Scholarship

 

  • Must be actively seeking a degree in Automotive Technology at SCC on the Jackson campus.
  • Must be in good academic standing with the college (cumulative 2.5 GPA or better). High school transcript must be submitted with the general application used by the community college.
  • Applicants are required to apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

 

State Employee Credit Union Scholarship
  • Must be a full-time student 
  • Is a graduate from a North Carolina high school 
  • Must be enrolled in an associate, diploma, or certificate program 
  • Must be a U.S. citizen and resident of North Carolina (NCGS 116-143.1), and be eligible for in-state tuition 
  • Demonstrate scholastic achievement with a GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale 
  • Scholarship may be used to pay for tuition, books, fees, course supplies and transportation. 
  • Must continue at the college where enrolled at the time of the scholarship award and for the duration of the scholarship. 
  • Cannot be a Director, employee, or family member of an employee or Director of the State Employee’s Credit Union or SECU Foundation. 
State Employees Association of North Carolina (SEANC) Scholarship

 

  • Must be full-time (minimum of 12 credit hours)
  • Must complete the FAFSA
  • The applicant and/or parent or guardian must be a member of SEANC
  • Students whose parent(s) are state employees but not SEANC members are not eligible for the scholarships

Applications may be downloaded from the SEANC website at www.seanc.org

 

Student Success Scholarship
  • Available to full-time or part-time students
  • May be pursuing a certificate, diploma or degree program.
  • Must complete the Free Application or Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) required for that award year.
  • Preference given to those students with financial need.
Student Support Services Scholarship

 

  • Candidates must be a Student Support Services participant and have completed at least 12 hours of study.
  • Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 to be eligible and maintain a 2.0 GPA or better for continued eligibility.
  • Applicants are required to apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

 

Susan Lanier Scholarship

In honor of Susan Lanier's prolific artistic talent, the Jackson County Arts Council established the Susan Lanier Memorial Scholarship.  This scholarship is for students who meet the following criteria:

  • Resident of Jackson County
  • Have financial need
  • GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • Enrolled in an art program as a full-time or part-time student at SCC

 

Susie Ransbottom-Witty Scholarship
  • Applicant must be currently enrolled in the Occupational Therapy Program
  • Preference shall be given to students demonstrating service to others within the scope of the profession of Occupational Therapy. 
  • Preference shall be given to Occupational Therapy students who have participated in domestic or international mission work. 
Sylva Garden Club Scholarship
  • Applicants must be pursuing an associate of science degree
  • Preference will be giving to students interested in horticulture/botany
  • Applicants must have and maintain a 2.5 GPA or higher
The Dottie Martin Teachers Scholarship
  • Must be currently enrolled in a college or university majoring in the field of education
  • Must be well advanced in program in education with an established career plan for teaching
  • Preference to applicants interested in child guidance and counseling in North Carolina
  • Recent high school graduates are NOT eligible to apply

Applications and information are available online at www.ncfrw.com/

The Gale Lee Wade, William Edwin Roosenberg and Larry Stanberry Scholarship
  • Applicants must be pursuing a diploma or associate degree or college transfer degree
  • Applicants must have and maintain a 3.0 GPA
  • Applicants must have demonstrated financial need
  • Preference given to student currently participating in or graduating from Circles of Hope of Jackson County or any bona-fide Circles Program
The Reg Moody Family Scholarship

  • Open to Nursing Degree students who are residents of Jackson and Swain counties
  • Must be full-time (12 credit hours) · Must have/maintain a cumulative 2.5 GPA or better
  • Applicants are required to apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

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