Scholarship Information, Instructions and Application Requirements:

Please read the following information regarding program purpose, class dates, program objectives, program information, instructions/selection and selection criteria here before completing the Leadership Cabarrus Scholarship Application form below. If you would like to be considered for the scholarship as well as the program, only the form on this page needs to be filled out. You do not need to fill out the general application as well.  

Thanks to the generosity of the Leadership Cabarrus Alumni Association, two partial ($600) scholarships will be awarded: one for a small business applicant and one for a nonprofit director applicant.

Requirements:

• Applicants must be employees of Cabarrus Chamber member businesses.

• Applicants must complete the scholarship application below. Answers must be submitted using the web form online and ONE letter of reference uploaded with it. No other attachments are necessary. Please limit answers to the space provided. We are looking for original thoughts – do not use AI.

• Applications must be submitted by May 29 at 5 p.m. to be considered for the scholarship and final candidates will be selected based on highest application scoring.

• Recipients of the scholarships or their organizations will be responsible for paying the additional $650 for tuition by August 15, 2025.

• All applicants will be notified by June 13 of their application status, and those who are not awarded the scholarships may decide to have their applications resubmitted for the 2026 class with the understanding that if they are selected for the class, they are responsible for the full $1250 tuition cost. Those who apply and are not chosen are not obligated to resubmit if they are not able to attend at their cost.

Please email Barbi Jones, President & CEO, at bjones@cabarrus.biz with any questions.

Helpful tips for using this online form: Type your answer for each question in a Word Document or Notepad first and copy/paste them into the online form when you are ready. In the event of technical difficulty, having this back up means you will not have to start from scratch! After you hit the submit button at the bottom of the form, please make sure you see a Thank You page acknowledging your submission. Google Chrome is the recommended browser for this form.

Selection Criteria:

The Leadership Cabarrus class shall be selected on following criteria (Chamber members receive priority consideration.):

• Representation from the greatest breadth of diversity in all socio-economic areas.

• Demonstrated ability to set and achieve personal and professional goals.

• Demonstrated personal commitment to the Cabarrus County community.

• A commitment to the time required by the program.

• A commitment to be a responsible and engaged participant, including the class project.

• Announced candidates for public office may not “campaign” and/or use class time to promote their candidacy in any way.

Leadership Cabarrus is a competitive program and submission of an application does not guarantee placement. All applications are reviewed by the Leadership Cabarrus Steering Committee, comprised of program alumni who work closely with the program to continually update the days to make sure they are relevant and meaningful. Scholarship applications must be submitted by May 29 at 5 p.m. General class applications must be received by June 27 at 5 p.m.

Applicant Information:

Scholarship Application: 

Please answer the following essay questions in complete sentences staying within the allowed character count. Each question has a maximum of 1500 characters, including spaces and punctuation. Please note that our system uses character count, not word count. Double check that your full answers are inputted when pasting from an external document. We are looking for your original thoughts; do not use AI. 

Employment History: 

Education:

Community Involvement and Activities:

Vision and Perspective:

Please answer the following essay questions in complete sentences staying within the allowed word count for each.

Letter of Reference:

Please upload one letter of reference. The following formats permitted: jpg, png, pdf, doc, docx, rtf

Statement of Commitment:

Leadership Cabarrus is a fun, exciting and fulfilling program, but for everyone’s benefit and enjoyment, please read the conditions below, check the box next to each condition with your acknowledgement and sign on the digital signature pad:

I understand the objectives and commitments of the Leadership Cabarrus program. If selected, I will devote the time necessary to successfully complete the program, according to the specific requirements, as well as participate in the class project. I understand tuition is due by August 15, 2025, payable in full.