Raleigh, N.C. – With the 2019 renewal of the SECU “People Helping People®” High School and Community College Scholarship programs, the member-funded SECU Foundation has made a substantial commitment to North Carolina’s college-bound students of nearly $5 million.  This year’s grant renewal brings the Foundation’s collective financial commitment to nearly $60 million since the program launched 15 years ago.

The high school program provides a $10,000 four-year scholarship to eligible graduating public high school seniors who are either members of the Credit Union or eligible for membership through a parent or guardian.  The scholarship is awarded to graduating seniors from regular public high schools and three charter high schools in North Carolina who will be attending one of the 16 constituent campuses of the University of North Carolina System.  The community college program provides two $5,000 scholarships to each of the 58 community colleges in the North Carolina Community College System.

Recipients are selected by the scholarship selection committee of the school district or community college.  Awards are based on a candidate’s embodiment of the credit union philosophy of “People Helping People,” recognizing leadership, excellence of character, integrity and community involvement, along with an overall academic grade point average of 2.5 or higher.

Hannah Thompson of Pelham, N.C. received a $10,000 high school scholarship to attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2018.  In her note of appreciation to SECU members she said, “Receiving this scholarship has helped me and my family, as it will allow me the financial freedom to pursue my goals and follow my dream of becoming an educator.  After graduation, I plan to return to my home of Caswell County being the best educator I can be.  I am thankful for this opportunity I have been given and look forward to giving back to the community what it has given me.”

About SECU and the SECU Foundation

A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, SECU has been providing employees of the State of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for over 81 years.  The Credit Union also offers a diversified line of financial advisory services including retirement and education planning, tax preparation, insurance, trust and estate planning services, and investments through its partners and affiliated entities.  SECU serves over 2.3 million members through 265 branch offices, nearly 1,100 ATMs, 24/7 Member Services via phone and a website, www.ncsecu.org.  The SECU Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization funded by the contributions of SECU members, promotes local community development in North Carolina primarily through high impact projects in the areas of housing, education, healthcare and human services.  Since 2004, SECU Foundation has made a collective financial commitment of more than $154 million for initiatives to benefit North Carolinians statewide.