Guilford will offer free tuition to qualifying NC students with family incomes under $75,000
Built for more than access, Rooted in Excellence connects students with resources to help them thrive in college and graduate.
Guilford College is making a liberal arts education more accessible to North Carolina families by launching Rooted In Excellence, a new scholarship that will cover full tuition for qualifying undergraduate students from households earning $75,000 or less. Wrapped around this financial package is a unique federally funded program of special services designed to support these students through their four years at Guilford.
Rooted in Excellence, available to new students beginning with the spring 2027 semester that starts in January, reflects Guilford’s longstanding commitment to using education as a pathway to social mobility while emphasizing the value of living, learning and serving within a close-knit campus community.
“Guilford has always championed education as a powerful engine for social mobility. We want to make sure that talented North Carolina students whose families may not have the resources to pay full tuition have an opportunity to fully benefit from every aspect of a Guilford education,” said Steve Mencarini, Guilford chief enrollment officer. “For the College, it is a strategic investment in enrollment where it can have the greatest impact and is aligned with our mission.”
To be eligible for the Rooted In Excellence Scholarship, students must be North Carolina residents and have a weighted high school GPA of at least 3.25 and meet financial eligibility requirements.
“Rooted in Excellence helps to fulfill our new enrollment strategy called ‘recruit to graduate,’” said Jean Parvin Bordewich, president of Guilford College. “We have raised academic requirements, expanded recruiting of out-of-state students, and broadened services to support student success.”
Federal and state financial aid, primarily Pell Grants, will cover most of the tuition for eligible students, and Guilford’s institutional investment will cover the remaining gap. Scholarship recipients will enroll as full-time residential students, contributing to the academic, residential and campus life of the College. The initiative is designed to expand Guilford’s reach to talented North Carolina students who may not otherwise consider a private liberal arts college while strengthening the College’s enrollment for the future.
Students and their families are responsible for room, board, fees and other educational and personal expenses. Out-of-pocket expenses could be as low as $3,000 to $4,000 per academic year if the student covers a portion of expenses with loans.
Families whose adjusted income exceeds $75,000 may still qualify for other need-based or merit-based financial aid. Guilford encourages all families to complete the financial-aid process rather than assume a Guilford education is beyond their reach, since eligibility can vary based on individual family circumstances.
“We tell all families to apply for financial aid and explore the opportunities available to them,” said Mencarini. “Making a Guilford education accessible to more students and families is central to our mission, and this new initiative is an important step toward making that possible.”
The residential requirement is intentional. Guilford views living on campus as an important part of the educational experience, giving students more opportunities to build relationships with faculty and peers, participate in campus life and engage with the broader College community. Research generally links on-campus living with stronger student outcomes, including retention, graduation rates and GPA.
The Rooted in Excellence Scholarship also builds on Guilford programs designed to help students overcome financial, academic and personal barriers to earning a college degree.
Among those resources is TRIO Student Support Services (SSS), a federally funded program that provides eligible students with individualized support at no cost. Guilford’s TRIO-SSS program serves students who are first-generation college students, demonstrate financial need or have a documented disability. Services include academic advising, tutoring and mentoring, career preparation, academic workshops and other support designed to help students thrive in college and graduate.
“With the TRIO program, we are connecting greater access with an emphasis on student success, “ said Mencarini.
In 2025, Guilford received a five-year, $1.36 million federal TRIO-SSS grant to support 140 students from traditionally underserved groups. The program provides additional academic advising, tutoring, mentoring, career preparation and other resources to help students successfully navigate college.
Together, the Rooted in Excellence Scholarship and TRIO-SSS program represent Guilford’s broader effort to remove barriers to a college education while providing students with the support they need not simply to enroll, but to graduate and build meaningful careers and lives. Some students may qualify for TRIO-SSS even if they are not eligible for the free tuition offer.
Prospective students and families can learn more about the Rooted in Excellence Scholarship, financial aid and applying to Guilford College.
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