Golden Door Scholarship

Scholarship recipients will receive funding for a four-year degree at a Golden Door Scholars regional partner school beginning in the Fall 2025 semester. Tuition, room, and board are covered at Golden Door Scholars regional partner schools.

Students who have applied to or are considering colleges in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia that are not currently designated as GDS partner schools should still proceed with their application for the Golden Door Scholarship. We will evaluate and provide support to students attending non-partner schools on an individual basis.

Preference will be given to applicants interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree that is career-ready and has high earning potential, meaning applicants will not require an advanced degree to begin their careers. See the preferred majors to know which are accepted.

Golden Door Scholars recipients are required to refrain from taking out loans to pursue their degrees. Therefore, we may consider assisting students at non-partner schools on a case-by-case basis if it is economically viable. Please note that there are no assurances of support for students at non-partner schools, and detailed information on this process will be communicated to students during the onboarding procedure.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

Application Timeline

• August 1, 2024 - Applications open
• October 1, 2024 - Applications close
• October 2024 - Applications are reviewed
• November 2024 - Final candidates are interviewed
• December 2024 - Award calls

Step 1: Review Eligibility and Apply

Applicants must ensure they are eligible for the Golden Door Scholarship and review the application process and expectations before submitting their application. The deadline to apply for the Golden Door Scholarship is Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.

Step 2: Application Received

After successfully submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation from Golden Door Scholars. There, you will find a list of GDS partner schools to begin applying to while you wait to hear back from the GDS team.

Step 3: Eligibility Screen

After the Golden Door Scholar team has reviewed your application, select candidates will move on to the eligibility screening process. Should you be selected to move forward with the screening, you will receive a form that must be filled out by the due date. If Golden Door Scholars has questions regarding the eligibility form, select candidates will have a short phone call with a GDS Application Committee member. If Golden Door Scholars has no questions regarding the eligibility form, selected candidates will move to final interviews.

Step 4: Interviews

At this stage, select candidates will move forward for an interview via Zoom, where interviewers and GDS staff will have a chance to get to know you as an individual.

Step 5: Awards

By the end of December 2024, finalists will be notified if they have received the Golden Door Scholarship!

Step 6: Applying, Matching, and Onboarding

Once recipients are selected and have accepted the Golden Door Scholarship, scholars will work with GDS staff to finish applying to their required schools.

Please note that scholars are encouraged to apply to colleges and universities before hearing back from Golden Door Scholars. You can contact the college or university’s admissions office and ask for an application waiver to help you if there are any financial constraints. We require all scholars to finish applying to their required schools by January 2025 since matching begins promptly after that and ends in April 2025.

Once matched, scholars are onboarded to the Golden Door Scholars community through the summer onboarding program Thrive. Upon completing Thrive, all scholars begin meeting with their Student Career Coaches in August as they commence their college journeys!

Applicant Expectations & Required Materials

You can use this EMAIL TEMPLATE to request your counselor to revise all your materials

Materials Required for the Golden Door Scholarship

• A 500-word essay explaining the following:
  • How do you plan to use your unique background and experiences to make a positive difference in your community and at your future college?
  • Why are you interested in joining the Golden Door Scholar community?
• A 2-minute video answering the following questions:
  • Where are you from?
  • What are your career aspirations?
  • What are you passionate about? It could be related to your work, hobbies, or any other areas where you find immense fulfillment.
• Unofficial transcripts from your high school