Scholarships & Financial Aid

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Paying for College

In January 2009, NC State University was named #6 on the Princeton Review and USA Today listing of the 2009 Best Value Colleges. NC State’s Department of Wood & Paper Science (WPS) offers its students a number of different financial aid options to help them pay for the costs of a higher education. Details are provided in the answers to frequently asked questions about financial aid below.

The WPS Department is distinguished by having one of the largest scholarship endowments on the NC State campus.  Approximately 75% of WPS students have an award that pays some or all of tuition and fees.  This funding is made possible by the strong support of companies in the forest products industries.  Students who are on scholarship and who make attractive salaries during their internships and co-ops can pay for most of their college expenses. If you have a question about undergraduate financial aid you do not see covered here, please contact the WPS undergraduate recruiter at wpsrecruiter@ncsu.edu.

Financial Aid FAQ

Please check out Financial Aid FAQ for more information on the different aid available to undergraduate students.

What sort of scholarships does the WPS Department offer?

WPS has a considerable endowment that permits a large number of scholarships to be awarded to both incoming freshmen and upperclassmen. These awards, combined with well-paying summer internships and semester co-op jobs, allow many students to finance a large portion of their undergraduate education. See the program details below for more information.

What scholarships are available to Paper Science & Engineering students?

Through the Pulp & Paper Foundation, the paper industry provides significant funding for undergraduate scholarships and general program enhancement. At the present time, there are over 130 individual endowed scholarships available to PSE students. Approximately 75 % of PSE students have one of these non-need based awards.

There are several requirements for the scholarships, but the most two important are 1) The student must be enrolled as a student in PSE (or PSU for incoming freshmen) and taking the courses shown on the PSE curriculum display sheet; and 2) The student must maintain a total cumulative grade point average (TGPA) of 3.000 or higher. If a student’s TGPA falls below 3.000, the student will be placed on probation for one semester. If the student fails to bring his TPGA back up to 3.000 or above in the next semester, the scholarship will be withdrawn.

Awards for incoming freshmen are currently valued at $2,500 for the first year of school, then raised to $3,000 per year for the remaining 3 years of study. The award is valid for a maximum of 4 years (eight semesters). If a student leaves NCSU to go on a semester co-op experience, the award is temporarily suspended for that semester, but then restored upon the student’s return, and the total number of semesters awarded will still be eight (that is, the award is simply pushed forward one semester).

Freshmen thinking about entering the PSE program at NCSU are encouraged to take advantage of the Early Admissions Process and submit their application to NCSU by November 1. Students interested in receiving a PSE scholarship should do two things: a) Select PSU (Paper Science & Engineering Unmatriculated) as their first choice on the admissions form; and b) Fill out and return the PSE Scholarship Application.

The decision about who will receive the scholarships is usually made in the third week of February. Students will be notified by mail about the decision.

Please note that all PSE scholarship applications must be in by January 31st each year. For more information on these scholarships, please contact the WPS undergraduate recruiter at wpsrecruiter@ncsu.edu.

What scholarships are available for Wood Products students?

Approximately 12 undergraduate scholarships are granted annually to new and continuing students in the Wood products program.Six of these are endowed scholarships ranging in value from $1,000 to $2,500. The remaining are industry-sponsored scholarships that usually provide funds for tuition and books. The deadline for applying for these awards is typically March 1st. To apply for a Wood Products scholarship, complete the Wood Products scholarship application and mail it with your high school or community college transcript to:

Dr. Perry Peralta
Department of Wood and Paper Science
Box 8005
NC State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-8005
Telephone: 919.515.5731
Fax: 919.513.3496
Email: perry_peralta@ncsu.edu

Breaking Down the Numbers

With rapidly-rising tuition rates, many future undergraduates and their parents are worried about paying for a 4-year college program. The WPS Department is proud of its rich tradition of helping students to pay for most of their own costs – with a large number of scholarships and lucrative summer internships and co-ops.

Here’s how such an arrangement might work for a Paper Science & Engineering student, using 2009-2010 NC State estimated total student cost:

Total expenses (tuition, fees, room, & board):
$13,268/yr. x 4 years = $53,072

Pulp and Paper Foundation scholarship:
$2,500/yr. x 1 year then $3,000/yr. x 3 years = $11,500
Two 3-month summer internships in industry @ $15/hr.:
$2,400/mo. x 6 months= $14,440
One 5-month semester co-op @ $17/hr.:
$2,720/mo. x 5 months= $13,600

NET OUT OF POCKET COSTS FOR 4 YEARS: $13,532

With starting salaries average $62,000 for the class of 2009, most students are able to pay for college with minimal financial impact on their families.

 

More Financial Aid Opportunities

WPS undergraduate students can apply for a variety of different forms of financial aid. In fact, most of our students do use one or more of these options to help defray the costs of college:

  • NC State offers an installment payment option that lets families spread the cost of tuition and fees over the course of a semester.
  • Student Loans are available to help you and your family finance college. While these loans mist be repaid, you do not have to make payments until after you leave college.
  • NC State scholarships are offered by the University to outstanding students. These are outright gifts of money that do not need to be paid back. They tend to be highly competitive scholarships. Please review the details below for more information or visit the NC State financial aid office.
  • The NCSU Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid offers many other forms of University financial aid through its website.
  • The Department of Wood & Paper Science offers a number of scholarships each year to outstanding students entering the fields of paper science or wood products. These scholarships are also outright grants of money. See below for details.
  • The College of Natural Resources also offers department-specific scholarships and financial aid, thanks to the support of its Forestry and Paper & Pulp Foundations.
  • Don’t forget that you may be eligible for local scholarships. During your senior year of high school, you should check with your high school counselor, local business organizations and community groups to see if you qualify for any local scholarships. Often, employers will offer them to the children of their employees, so be sure to ask your parents to check these sources as well.
  • Part-time jobs for students can be arranged during the school year to help you defray the cost of college expenses. Visit the NC State University. Career Center for an example of available on- and off-campus jobs.
  • Work-study programs are offered at NC State as a form of financial aid and are based on need. Work-study income is not counted as income when it comes to calculating your eligibility for financial aid the next year.
  • There are statewide programs that help residents of North Carolina finance their college expenses. Please visit the College Foundation of North Carolina for more information on these.

 

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