SANFORD - Six students from Central Carolina Community College will receive scholarships through the Golden LEAF Scholarship program for the North Carolina Community College System. The Golden LEAF Scholarship program, designed to help North Carolinians attend the state's community colleges, is funded through a $750,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation.

The scholarship can be used for tuition, books, fees, supplies, transportation, and childcare related to attending classes during the 2014-15 academic year, and industry-recognized credential testing expenses that address skill gaps upon course completion. Eligible students must demonstrate financial need and reside in rural counties that are tobacco-dependent and/or economically distressed. Scholarships for both occupational and curriculum students are available during the fall, spring and summer semesters.

The CCCC Golden LEAF Scholarship recipients are William Kay, Kayte Kelly and Malorie Sloan, of Lee County, and Heather Calderon, Tina Hulin and Kevin Olmsted of Harnett County.

"The Golden LEAF Foundation is proud to have awarded over 8,000 Golden LEAF Scholarships to help North Carolinians attend our state's community colleges," said Dan Gerlach, Golden LEAF President. "Our hope is that these scholarships will help build the talent, knowledge and skills of our current and future workforce, especially in the rural areas of our state."

The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transform North Carolina's economy. The foundation receives one-half of North Carolina's funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,275 grants totaling more than $561 million since its inception. For more information, about the foundation, visit www.goldenleaf.org or call 888-684-8404.

Students interested in applying for a Golden LEAF Scholarship should contact the CCCC Financial Aid Office at 919-718-7229.

For more information about Central Carolina Community College and its programs, visit www.cccc.edu.