Harry W. Clarke Memorial Scholarship Programs – Harry W. Clarke Award

The Harry W. Clarke Scholarship Programs, established by longtime friends and associates to honor the life of Harry Wilson Clarke, commemorate his commitment to educational opportunities for young people in Western North Carolina. Harry Clarke died in an aircraft accident in 1987. At the time of his death, Mr. Clarke was in his twenty-fifth year as President and twenty-eighth year as a leader of Western Carolina Industries, Inc. Under his leadership, WCI grew from a six county area to twenty-nine with some 600 companies in membership. Mr. Clarke is noted for bringing the Western North Carolina region into the Modern Industrial Era. Harry Clarke in his quiet, effective way prodded both schools and employees to do a better job of serving the needs of students, and he helped companies to become involved in local education, all to the mutual benefit of schools and the business community.

Amount

$2,000 renewable for 3 more years

Number Of Awards

One Award

Deadline

Jan. 22, 2025

Eligibility

This scholarship, renewable for three more years, may be awarded to graduating seniors from any public high school in the 29-county Western North Carolina region to attend an NC 4-year college or university. In addition, students with permanent homes with the 29-county WNC region who attend the NC School of Science and Mathematics, the UNC School of the Arts High School, or a Home School registered with the NC Department of Non-Public Education may apply if they will attend an accredited NC four-year college or university.

CFWNC ensures that all scholarship recipients are selected on an objective and nondiscriminatory basis and that selections are based on specific guidelines and criteria for each fund.

Selection Criteria

  • Financial need
  • Academic ability/achievement
  • Good moral character
  • Community service (at school and in the larger community); extracurricular activities; work experience

Administration

To Apply

To apply, students must complete an application online. The application, with required attachments, must be submitted online on or before the deadline. Click here to apply.

Application Procedure

The scholarship program is administered by The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. Please direct any questions about this scholarship to the foundation, at scholarships@cfwnc.org.

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