2026 North Carolina Blueberry Festival Scholarship Application

PURPOSE

The purpose of the NC Blueberry Festival Scholarship Program is to provide post-high school academic scholarships to North Carolina students.

ELIGIBILITY

All selected Scholarship winners must be available to attend the NC Blueberry Festival Opening Ceremony on June 20th at 9am.

Award of scholarships will be based on the following criteria:

Senior in secondary education.

Reside or attend school in one of the following counties in North Carolina:
Bladen
Duplin
New Hanover
Pender
Sampson

Write and submit an essay on the provided topic.

Provide a list of your past and present community involvement activities.

Acceptance into an accredited two- or four-year college or university.

Full-time college enrollment in 2026/2027 (minimum of 12 credit hours per semester).

Pursuit of a degree in an agricultural field of study is not required.

REQUIREMENTS

The essay must address the prompt and meet the minimum requirements listed.

All applications must include ALL necessary materials to be considered.

Please include a cover page with your essay.

All essay scholarship materials must be turned in no later than 5:00pm on March 1.

AWARD

Scholarships awarded and the amount will be based on available funding. Awards may be used toward the payment of tuition, fees, or books. The Scholarship payment will be sent directly to the school on your behalf at the end of July. We will reach out to you to verify your school selection and student ID# before we mail out the scholarship funds to the school.

SELECTION PROCESS

The North Carolina Blueberry Festival Scholarship Essay Selection Committee will give equal consideration to all applicants who fulfill the requirements. They will select scholarship recipients. The decisions of the committee are final. All essays submitted become the property of the North Carolina Blueberry Festival Association.

Name

Last NameFirst & Middle Initial

Email

example@example.com

Phone Number

Date of Birth

Date

Address

Street Address

County

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code

Parent/Guardian Names

Parent/Guardian Email

Grade Level

Expected Graduation Date

Name of Current High School

School Address

Street Address

County

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code

School Phone

Name of Academic Counselor

Academic Counselor Email

Planned Major/Field of Study

College #1 you are considering attending and your acceptance status.

College #2 you are considering attending and your acceptance status.

College #3 you are considering attending and your acceptance status.

School Sports and Activities you are involved in.

Please provide any academic achievements or awards you have received.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Please provide a summary of any community involvement activities and/or community service you have performed.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Please include a brief bio that the NC Blueberry Festival Association can use for recognition if you are awarded a scholarship. This could include the name(s) of your parents/guardians, a photo suitable for publication and /or any information about yourself that you would like to submit. Publication is at the sole discretion of the NC Blueberry Festival Association. This may include use on social media and website.

ESSAY

Your essay must be double-spaced with 1” margins in a readable 12-point font. It must be a minimum of 3 pages. Grammar and parenthetical documentation will be evaluated in addition to the content and cohesiveness of the essay. You must use APA Format for all citations and for the reference page at the end of the essay.

ESSAY PROMPT (PLEASE CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING)

HOW WILL YOUR COLLEGE STUDIES AND CAREER GOALS HELP SUPPORT THE NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY?

- OR -

WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING THE NC AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY TODAY?

PLEASE UPLOAD ALL DOCUMENTS HERE: COVER PAGE, ESSAY, REFERENCE DOCUMENTS AND PHOTOGRAPH *

2026 North Carolina Blueberry Festival Scholarship Application

Educational Information