Established in 1986, the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program is the most ambitious teacher recruitment program in the nation.
500 Scholarships Per Year...
18 Campuses
One Common Goal
The average profile of a Teaching Fellow includes an SAT score over 1100, a high school GPA of 4.0 or more on a weighted scale, and a rank in the top 10% of his/her high school graduating class. In keeping with the goal to recruit males and minorities, each year approximately 20% of the program's recipients are minority, while 30% are male.

Applicant Selection Process


The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program is open to current 2007-2008 North Carolina high school seniors and high qualifying juniors accepted for college admission who are interested in becoming teachers and are legal residents of North Carolina for tuition purposes and will have met the twelve-month in-state residency requirement. (Dependents of military personnel are eligible only if the parent/guardian has declared North Carolina as their state of residence.)

The Commission may accept applications from current high school students with superior academic records who shall have completed the 11th grade and shall have met virtually all the minimum college admissions requirements as well as the requirements for high school graduation at the end of the academic year in which the selection is made. The awarding of the Teaching Fellows Scholarship to such an applicant, who may be selected as a Teaching Fellow recipient by the Commission, shall be contingent upon college admission for the fall semester of the award year. Advanced academic classification must accommodate the completion of all summer experiences prior to college graduation.

Completed applications and references are due to Liaison Counselors by October 19, 2007.

Each application must include:

  • An application form completed by the candidate.
  • A high school transcript and verification of SAT/ACT scores.
  • A writing sample (to be completed at a time and place designated by the Teaching Fellows School District Screening Committee chairperson).
  • Three reference forms. (No additional references will be considered. Students are encouraged to select persons who know them well to complete their references).
  • Applicant Composite Form (To be filled out by the Teaching Fellows liaison counselor, NOT the applicant).
  • If in a home school, verification of the school’s registration with the NC Division of Non-Public Schools.
All applicants for the Teaching Fellows awards with Scholastic Profile Composite Scores of 35 or above will be interviewed by a local committee composed of people from the applicant’s community. Please note that a minimum score of 900 on the SAT (ACT converted) is required to proceed beyond the local level.

Applicants who are selected as regional finalists will be screened by a committee composed of people from the educational region in which the applicant lives. At both the local and regional levels, applicant files will be reviewed and selected candidates will be interviewed. The committees will evaluate the applicants on their application material and the quality of their interviews. All application material is confidential.

Applicants must apply to, and be accepted by, the college of their choice offering the Teaching Fellows Program.

For more information, browse these pages:

Download your application materials:

Downloaded materials must be turned in to your high school's Teaching Fellows liaison counselor by October 19, 2007. (You may complete the majority of the application online prior to downloading it.)