Central Piedmont students benefit from record $4.2 million in scholarships

  • Nearly 2,500 students received scholarships in 2024-2025 fiscal year 

  • Scholarship portal now open for students to apply for aid in spring and summer 2026 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Central Piedmont Community College shared today the college provided $4.2 million in scholarships to 2,451 students in fiscal year 2025, marking the first time in the college’s history that annual scholarship disbursements have crossed the $4 million milestone. 

The increase of over $1.2 million from the previous fiscal year underscores the college’s unwavering commitment to expanding access to education and empowering students across the region. On average, scholarship recipients received nearly $1,750 each, compared to just over $1,000 last year. 

“Behind every scholarship is a student striving for a better future and a donor who made it possible,” said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, president of Central Piedmont. “Crossing the $4 million mark in scholarships reflects the generosity and vision of our donors, and it means more students are gaining the education they need to transform their lives and contribute meaningfully to our community.” 

Generous donors to the Central Piedmont Community College Foundation have provided critical funding to support students through a broad array of scholarship programs. Last year, donor gifts allowed the college to establish new scholarships in areas directly aligned to workforce development needs, such as business, construction, early childhood education, and skilled trades. Donors also added funds to focused scholarships – Duke Energy expanded its scholarship for the line worker program and several donors enhanced scholarship support for U.S. military veteran students. 

Together, these programs, and many others funded by corporate, foundation, and individual donors, have enabled Central Piedmont students to pursue certificates, diplomas, or degrees with far less financial burden. 

A milestone for student opportunity 

Among the students who have benefited include Jae Taylor, who received the Merancas Technical Career Scholarship, which supports students in hands-on fields that lead directly to the workforce. Jae is an emergency medical sciences student who has the opportunity to train alongside Mecklenburg County first responders while pursuing a degree. 

Itala Flores, who graduated in the spring with an associate degree in fine arts, received the Levine Scholarship, the Kappy McClenaghan Scholarship, and the Board of Trustees Endowed Scholarship, while also being a member of the Truist Honors Program. 

“The budget has been a challenge, but Central Piedmont never let me go down,” Flores said. “Even at the last minute, Central Piedmont always helped me with a scholarship, and that was a blessing." 

Honoring Duke Energy’s expanded commitment  

Duke Energy has been a longstanding supporter of the college. In 2022, the Duke Energy Foundation provided a startup grant of $500,000 to the college’s utility line worker program and made an additional $48,000 grant in 2023 to continue its support of the program. Earlier in 2025, the company’s foundation provided a grant of $21,000 as part of the Duke Energy Vibrant Student Engineers program to support the purchase of five process control simulators at the college. 

That support carries forward as the Duke Energy Foundation increased its scholarship contributions for students in the line worker program by $25,000 in honor of former executive Julie Janson’s retirement in mid-2025. 

Janson selected to direct the funds to Central Piedmont as the charitable organization of her choice upon her retirement and noted the importance of investing in the future generation of line workers and energy professionals in the local community. 

Scholarship access and application process 

Central Piedmont’s scholarship portal opened Sept. 1 for students to apply for aid in the spring and summer 2026 terms. Scholarships are provided on a rolling basis and the college encourages students to apply as early as possible.  

Additional information about financial aid and scholarships is available on the Central Piedmont website.