Cheatham-White Merit Scholarship
The Cheatham-White Scholarship was established in 2018 as a merit scholarship program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and North Carolina Central University. The scholarship provides students who are exceptional scholars, versatile thinkers, and well-rounded individuals access to an outstanding educational experience. Cheatham-White Scholars will represent students with a broad range of interests, who are proficient in areas of both the arts and sciences, and who demonstrate leadership potential and a strong commitment to service.
Each recipient is awarded a fully funded four-year scholarship that covers the cost of all of the following: full tuition, student fees, housing, meals, textbooks, a laptop, supplies, travel, and personal expenses. Each scholarship also provides four summers of fully funded enrichment and networking opportunities, which may include international travel and study.
Eligibility
To be eligible for nomination as a potential Cheatham-White Scholarship candidate, a student must:
- Be a competitive applicant for admission as a freshman in the fall semester into a baccalaureate program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University or North Carolina Central University (in-state and out-of-state students are both eligible)
- Be a United States citizen or permanent resident
- Be on course to graduate from high school in the spring semester prior to college admission
- Minimum 4.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale cumulative GPA
- Minimum 1280 (new)/ 1200 (old) SAT or 28 ACT
- Show exceptional qualities of character and leadership
- Be significantly involved in extracurricular activities
- Demonstrate a strong commitment to service
Candidates for Cheatham-White Scholarships shall be selected on the basis of academic merit, honorable character, outstanding leadership potential, and a demonstrable commitment to service. Financial need shall not be a consideration.
Yearly renewal of the scholarship requires:
- Maintenance of a 3.5 cumulative GPA annually
- Full-time enrollment each semester
- A minimum of 30 earned credit hours each academic year
- Membership and active participation in the University Honors Program
School Nomination of Candidates
All North Carolina high schools are eligible to nominate students to be considered as candidates for the Cheatham-White Scholarship. For the purposes of this section, a high school includes a public school under the direction of a local board of education, a charter school, a regional school, a high school operated as part of The University of North Carolina System, a school operated by the Department of Health and Human Services, a school operated by the State Board of Education, or a nonpublic school regulated under Article 39 of Chapter 115C of the General Statute.
Learn more and apply
The Cheatham-White Scholarship at North Carolina A&T
The Cheatham-White Scholarship Press release at North Carolina Central
Who is it named for?
The General Assembly named the scholarship for Henry P. Cheatham and George Henry White, African-Americans who served two terms each in Congress in the 1890s. Cheatham, an educator who founded an orphanage for black children, won election in 1888 and 1890. White, an attorney who studied at Howard University, won the same 2nd District seat in 1896 and 1898. Cheatham and White also were brothers-in-law who didn’t much like each other. In fact, they ran against each other for party nomination twice in the 1890s.