Academic Scholarships

Raise the ceiling on your expectations for college and your career.

Join the Pursuit! The program consists of a two-course sequence in your first year spread over the fall and the spring semester. Selected students invited to participate in the course sequence will receive a $2000 scholarship for participation. Students who choose to ‘major in life by minoring in the Humanities’ will receive additional scholarship opportunities. Even more scholarship opportunities are available for students who major in the Humanities.

All newly-admitted, first-year students may apply.

Learn More

Apply for a Pursuit Scholarship

Tom Smith Scholarship
The Ketner School of Business offers the Tom Smith Business scholarship to new and transfer students attending on a full-time basis in-person.

This award can provide up to an annual $3,000 scholarship to individuals interested in the world of business. We award this scholarship to those we believe best embody the qualities of Catawba - Scholarship, Character, Culture, and Service. As a recipient, you will provide a role model and example to the student population of Catawba College, and carry its message to the world.

The Tom Smith Scholarship offers Catawba students assistance with their tuition costs and provides the following benefits.

Tom Smith Fellows participate in program offerings (six to eight events) through the Ketner School of Business each year to maintain the scholarship and fellowship
Tom Smith Fellows will be expected to attend the Tom Smith luncheon each Spring, interacting with Mrs. Martha Smith and faculty to provide individualized attention and mentoring.
As upperclassmen, Tom Smith Fellows serve as mentors for first-year students in the fellowship program.

Students who are eligible to apply for Catawba's Business scholarship must have an academic grade point average of 3.2 or above.

Current Catawba College students are not eligible for the Tom Smith Scholarship.

David Jordan Scholarship
This scholarship is designed to inspire high-achieving, mission-fit students with demonstrated need to enroll in the Ralph W. Ketner School of Business. The College will select one student each year as the recipient of the David Jordan Scholarship with an average award of $10,000. This is the highest and most prestigious award for a student enrolling in the Ketner School of Business.

Scholarships for English Majors at Catawba College

Catawba College may offer a scholarship to new incoming students and transfer students majoring in English, Literature, or Writing (or minoring in Creative Writing) upon acceptance to the College.

Students receiving this scholarship may receive an amount up to $500. Additionally, English majors can earn a scholarship of up to $2500 for their senior year.

Scholarships for Environment and Sustainability Majors

As an Environment and Sustainability major, you will automatically qualify for an annual $5,000 scholarship above and beyond your regular Catawba scholarship and financial aid package. Once admitted to Catawba, new and transfer students declaring their intention to Major or Minor in Environment & Sustainability will have the opportunity to compete for generously-supported Environmental Merit Scholarships, including (multiple annual) awards for up to full tuition as well as full tuition plus room and board.

Apply for an Environment & Sustainability Scholarship

Environment & Sustainability Merit Scholarship Competition

Merit Scholarship Interview Days present an additional, special opportunity for students to compete for additional scholarship funds in the form of the Catawba Environment & Sustainability Merit Scholarship, potentially up to full tuition, as a future Environment & Sustainability major.

Register for the Scholarship Competition

Science Travel Award

Students who are full-time, declared majors in Biology, Chemistry or Environmental Sciences conducting mentored research projects are eligible to apply for the Student Science Travel Award.

Music and Theatre Scholarships for New Incoming and Transfer Students Based upon Auditions

Music Scholarship Auditions

Acceptance into the Music Department for any music concentration and for a scholarship recommendation are based upon an audition and interview. Awards for various ensembles as well are awarded and renewed on a semester by semester basis. Music scholarship values vary and may be renewed based on an established GPA minimum, continuing music achievement, and required participation.

Students interested in a music scholarship should complete submit an online audition:

Online Audition

Theatre Arts Scholarship Auditions

We offer theatre scholarships for performance, design and production. We prescreen auditions and offer placement into our BFA degrees through the Accept’d platform. We also audition at the North Carolina Theatre Conference and the Southeastern Theatre Conference.

Performance scholarships are renewable for the full four years so long as the student remains active in theatre arts and maintains at least a 2.7 average.

To be considered for a scholarship, please submit materials to Accept’d:

Theatre Arts Full Scholarship

Catawba offers a full-tuition Theatre Arts scholarship that is auditioned for and awarded on a special in-person interview day. The Hobgood Theatre Arts Scholarship is awarded to the incoming student who best demonstrates the most potential in the Department’s long-established mission of "Changing the Face of the American Theatre."

Established in 2013 and named for Catawba Theatre Arts’ first Department Chair, Dr. Burnet M. Hobgood (1950-51), the scholarship is awarded each year by the faculty of the Theatre Arts Department in late January. Participation in The Hobgood Scholarship Competition is by invitation only, and preliminary screenings are done through the Accept’d platform or by auditioning in-person through an alternate venue (SETC, NCTC, ITF).

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this prestigious scholarship, you must:

Meet the minimum cumulative GPA requirement of 3.75 (weighted)
Be unconditionally accepted to Catawba College

Procedure

Students interested in this scholarship should complete an application via Acceptd.
Following the original screening, students nominated by faculty will be invited to apply for a scholarship competition weekend, typically at the end of January.
Further guidelines and an essay prompt will be provided as part of the invitation packet.
Under extenuating circumstances, provisions may be made for a remote audition/interview if students are unable to attend, but ONLY IF such provisions are requested within two weeks of the Hobgood competition date.
Invited students may compete in both the Socratic Scholarship competition (the largest college scholarship granted) and the Hobgood Scholarship competition, but only one of the scholarships may be accepted.
Scholarship material must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the competition and must be complete in order for a student to gain a competition spot.

Scholarships for Psychology Students at Catawba College

Catawba College offers new incoming students and transfer students the opportunity to be considered for the Psychology scholarship up to $2,500. This great scholarship not only offers Catawba students assistance with their tuition costs, but also provides the ability for the funds to assist with a study abroad opportunity in their junior or senior year.

The amount of Catawba's Psychology scholarship varies, but students who are eligible to apply must have an academic grade point average of 3.0 or above.

Catawba College offers a Teaching Scholarship to all new incoming and transfer students who major or minor in one of our on-campus education programs. A completed application to Catawba College with an indicated intent to major (Elementary Education, Special Education, or Middle Grades Education) or minor (if desiring to teach at the high school level or to teach Music Education) in education will automatically serve as the application for a Teaching Scholarship, as well.

West Teaching Scholarship
The West Teaching Scholarship awards students in the education field up to $12,000 yearly in addition to academic scholarships awarded by Catawba, except for Socratic Scholarships. Eligibility for these scholarships requires a cumulative high school GPA of at least 4.0. (Students may also submit SAT or ACT scores in order to qualify for exemption from the required Praxis CORE exam for entry to Teacher Education. An SAT score of 1170 or ACT composite score of 24 is required for exemption.)

Opportunities in Education Scholarship
The Opportunities in Education Scholarship awards students interested in the field of education up to$10,000 yearly in addition to academic scholarships awarded by Catawba, except for Socratic Scholarships. This scholarship is designed to provide more affordable post-secondary access to college and to encourage the pursuit of opportunities in the field of education for students. Eligibility for these scholarships requires a cumulative high school GPA of at least 3.0.

"Commit to Teacher Education" Scholarship
For students with a GPA that does not meet the qualification for either the West Teaching Scholarship or Opportunities in Education Scholarship, the Teacher Education Department also offers the "Commit to Teacher Education Scholarship." Recipients of this scholarship will receive $2000 per year, with an increase to $4000 per year once successfully admitted to the Teacher Education program. To apply, complete the online application for the scholarship, noting your intent to major or minor in Education. To continue to receive the scholarship, recipients must declare a major or minor in Education by the end of their freshman year, qualify for admittance to Teacher Education for the junior year, and complete the coursework required for the major or minor selected in Education.

Apply for a Teaching Scholarship
Reminder: A completed application to Catawba College with an indicated intent to major or minor in education will automatically serve as the application for a Teaching Scholarship, as well

NOTE: Applicants are only eligible to receive one of the above scholarships (i.e. Students can receive either a West Scholarship, an Opportunities in Education Scholarship, or a Commit to Teacher Education Scholarship). In order to maintain the scholarship award each year, recipients must meet minimum Catawba GPA requirements, must declare a major or minor in education by the end of freshman year, and must meet the requirements for admission to Teacher Education by the end of the sophomore year, including submission of passing Praxis CORE scores (or qualifying SAT or ACT composite scores).

Other Opportunities for Education Majors

TeachNC

In addition to Catawba’s educational scholarships, applicants interested in teaching may want to consider funding from TeachNC. To claim your reimbursement, follow these 3 easy steps:

Create a TeachNC account
Submit your application to our program
Claim your reimbursement!

TeachNC, in partnership with North Carolina’s Governor’s Office, NC DPI, and Study.com, is excited to offer up to $100 in exam support to reduce the barriers educators face in entering the profession.

This includes beginner teachers.

If you take your Praxis, Pearson or complete your EdTPA on or after July 1, 2022 and are a current classroom educator– you’re eligible for reimbursement. What expenses are eligible? There are lots of options! See below.

You can:

Get unlimited access to Praxis test prep materials through Study.com at no cost to you!
Request a Praxis voucher so you can register for the test for free – this includes if you need to retake the exam!
Submit reimbursements for additional exams, like the Pearson or EdTPA, previous exam attempts, and/or study materials you feel better suit your learning style (maybe 1-on-1 tutoring)!

You can use all of the above or pick and choose what you need! Whatever it is, TeachNC has you covered up to $100. Keep that cash in your pocket.

Academic Scholarships