North Carolina Principal Fellows Program

Awarded By:

North Carolina Principal Fellows Program

Number of Awards & Eligibility: The number of awards offered varies annually based on the number of qualified applicants. In previous years, approximately 70 awards were given.

Description: This forgivable scholarship loan program is available for North Carolina residents who have four or more years of full-time teaching experience and plan to obtain a master's degree in school administration. Students must have a grade point average of 3.2 or higher and plan to attend one of the eligible North Carolina institutions.

Application requirements for the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program are:

• Application form
• Official Transcript
• Personal statement
• Resume
• References (3)
• GRE/MAT scores
• Notification
• $45 application fee

Additional Information: An eligible student must have a bachelor's degree from an institution accredited by a state, regional, or national accrediting agency. The student must also have completed no more than two courses (six hours) that apply toward the master's degree in school administration. A recipient must sign a promissory note establishing a scholarship loan agreement. The stipulations of the agreement are as follows: the recipient must be willing to practice at an approved site in North Carolina as a full-time administrator for four years within six years following completion of the master's degree, or repay in cash the amount received through the Principal Fellows Program plus interest at an annual rate of 10 percent. Once selected, Principal Fellows must be enrolled full time and remain in good standing in a master's degree program in school administration at a university participating as an approved Principal Fellows Program site, complete a full-time internship in a public school during the second year of the program, and participate in enrichment activities provided by the PFP. The requirements of the internship are determined jointly by the university and the participating school. While serving as an intern, Principal Fellows receive a stipend from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, in addition to the scholarship loan. Enrichment activities supplement the master's degree program in school administration and focus on leadership development. These activities are offered at the state level through the PFP office to all Principal Fellows and are also offered by the individual university programs to students in the program. Please note: The student must not be employed on a full-time basis during the time he/she is receiving the scholarship. All selected will be notified of the awards by the NC Principal Fellows Commission during the first week in May.

Award Amount: Each scholarship loan will provide funding in the amount of $30,000 in year one of the degree program and, in year two, a scholarship loan equal to 60 percent of a first-year assistant principal ten-month salary plus $4,100. In addition to, and separate from the scholarship loan amount, second-year fellows will receive a stipend through the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction equal to 40 percent of a first-year assistant principal ten-month salary as paid on the state salary schedule.  The total dollars awarded for this scholarship is $34,100.