Where do families apply for the NC Opportunity Scholarship?
Families apply through the program's official site, run by the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA): k12.ncseaa.edu (opens in a new tab). This site is an independent directory. It is not affiliated with the state or the program, and it cannot take or submit an application for you.
When does the 2027-28 application open?
The 2027-28 dates are not yet published as a firm date. State law, G.S. 115C-562.2 (opens in a new tab), says applications must be available no later than February 1 each year.
Applications for 2027-28 are projected to open around 1 Feb 2027 and close around 1 Mar 2027; no official date was published when we checked. (source: ncleg.gov, checked 29 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab)
The March 1 date is the projected priority deadline, not a hard close. In 2026 the application stayed open afterwards.
How long is the priority period?
About four weeks. In 2026 the priority period for new students ran from February 2 to March 2 at 5:00 p.m., according to NCSEAA (opens in a new tab). In 2025 it ran from February 6 to March 6, per NCSEAA (opens in a new tab). For 2027-28 the priority deadline is PROJECTED for March 1, 2027 at 5 p.m. and is not yet published. The law says awards go to students "who have applied by March 1" (G.S. 115C-562.2 (opens in a new tab)).
How much is an Opportunity Scholarship?
The award depends on the household's income tier, and it never pays more than the school's required tuition and fees. The 2026-27 tiers were:
- A Tier 1 Opportunity Scholarship pays up to $7,942 toward required tuition and fees in 2026-27. (source: k12.ncseaa.edu, checked 29 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- A Tier 2 Opportunity Scholarship pays up to $7,148 toward required tuition and fees in 2026-27. (source: k12.ncseaa.edu, checked 29 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- A Tier 3 Opportunity Scholarship pays up to $4,766 toward required tuition and fees in 2026-27. (source: k12.ncseaa.edu, checked 29 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- A Tier 4 Opportunity Scholarship pays up to $3,574 toward required tuition and fees in 2026-27. (source: k12.ncseaa.edu, checked 29 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab)
The tier follows household income and household size. For example, for a household of 4 with 2025 income, Tier 1 goes up to $61,050, Tier 2 up to $122,100 and Tier 3 up to $274,725; above that, or with income not reported, the award is Tier 4. NCSEAA's 2026-27 income guidelines (opens in a new tab) (checked 29 Sep 2026) list every household size from 2 to 12. Amounts and income limits for 2027-28 are not yet published.
What happens if you apply after the priority period?
In 2026 the application could stay open after the priority period, and later applicants were considered first come, first served, according to NCSEAA (opens in a new tab). Complete applications from the priority period go into a lottery run by income tier. The same design is expected for 2027-28.
When do award offers go out?
For 2024-25, Tier 1 offers went out on March 29, 2024, with an accept deadline of April 19, 2024 (NCSEAA (opens in a new tab)). For 2026-27, a news report from EdNC (opens in a new tab), not an official source, said new award offers had gone out by early April 2026, with an accept deadline of April 17, 2026. For 2027-28, offers are PROJECTED for late March to early April 2027 and are not yet published.
What can you do before the window opens?
The priority period is short, so it helps to choose schools early. Build a shortlist on this site, compare tuition and program status side by side, and see on each school's page what it may cost after an award, capped at its tuition and fees.
Where do the dates on this page come from?
Dates link to their sources where shown, and the page footer shows the day we last checked them. Dates marked projected or expected are our estimate from past years, not a published date. The official site always has the final word.