Education

Education is central to the continued development of a thriving, just, and creative Western North Carolina. It is the foundation of economic progress and effective civic participation. The skills and attributes of an educated public help our region prosper and expand opportunities across it. The educational profile of a region plays a significant role in potential employers’ decisions to invest in an economy. For these reasons and others, CFWNC directs resources toward improving educational outcomes, systems and opportunities through grants and scholarships. This work is aggregated under the Education focus area.

CFWNC awards scholarships to North Carolina residents who are public high school seniors, who attend the NC School of Science and Mathematics or the UNC School of the Arts High School or who study in a home school registered with the North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education. There are programs open to private high school students in Buncombe County, and programs open to students already in college or who are employees or children of employees of certain area corporations. Scholarships may be applied to a nonprofit postsecondary two- or four-year college, university, or vocational school in the United States, unless otherwise specified in the relevant fund agreement.