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College of Natural Resources

Student and Scholarship Information

Through the NC State Pulp and Paper Advisory Committee, the paper industry provides significant funding for undergraduate academic scholarships and general program enhancement. At the present time, there are over 135 individual endowed scholarships available to PSE students. Approximately 80% of PSE students have one of these awards.

There are several requirements for the merit scholarships, but the most two important are:

1) The student must be enrolled as a student in PSE (or PSEI for incoming freshmen) and taking the courses shown on the PSE curriculum display sheet

2) The student must maintain a total cumulative grade point average (TGPA) of 3.000 or higher. If a student’s TGPA falls below 3.000, the student will be placed on probation for one semester. If the student fails to bring his TPGA back up to 3.000 or above in the next semester, the scholarship will be withdrawn.

Awards

Awards for incoming freshmen are currently valued at $2500 per year. This award will then be raised to $3000 for the remaining three years of eligibility. The award is valid for a maximum of 4 years (eight semesters). If a student leaves NC State to go on a semester co-op experience, the award is temporarily suspended for that semester, but it is restored upon the student’s return, and the total number of semesters awarded will still be eight (that is, the award is simply pushed forward one semester).

Freshmen thinking about entering the PSE program at NC State are encouraged to take advantage of the Early Admissions Process and submit their application to NC State by November 1st. Students interested in receiving a PSE merit scholarship should do two things:

  1. Select Engineering First Year: Paper Science & Engineering Intended OR Engineering First Year: Paper Science & Engineering/Chemical Engineering Dual Intended as their first choice on the admissions application and,
  2. Fill out and return the PSE Scholarship Application.

The decision about who will receive the scholarships is usually made in the third week of March. Students will be notified by mail about the decision.

Please note that all PSE scholarship applications must be complete on the University wide Pack Assist portal.  The priority deadline if February 15. For more information on these scholarships, please contact the Pulp and Paper Office at 919.515.7709.

Our History

In 1954, the paper industry established a pulp and paper program at NC State in part to help man a pulp and paper industry boom in the southern United States. Students in this program were able to receive a B. S. degree in Pulp and Paper Technology (PPT). The students could also stay for one additional semester and receive a second B. S. in Chemical Engineering, a program feature then not available at any of the other schools offering paper science degrees. With strong regional support, an outstanding scholarship endowment, and this unique dual degree program, the NC State program began to establish itself as a dominant program in the United States. In 2004, this program became jointly administered by the College of Natural Resources and the College of Engineering, and its name was changed to Paper Science and Engineering. In 2005, the program became ABET accredited.

Our Success Story

Students enrolled in the PSE program are highly valued by companies in the industry as summer interns and semester co-ops.  Even freshmen are sought after for internships during their first summer. Because of the outstanding reputation of the PSE program, 80-100% of graduates will have one or more job offers at the time of graduation – regardless of the state of the economy or the industry. Starting salaries and signing bonuses are among the highest for any graduates from NC State.

For over 50 years, graduates from the PSE program have gone on to make significant contributions to the paper industry, other chemical process industries, and many other professional arenas. Our alumni include vice-presidents, mill managers, technical managers, research directors, consultants, sales personnel, business owners, professors, teachers, lawyers, doctors, and clergymen.

With a long history of outstanding student care and thorough engineering education, the PSE program has much of which to be proud. Find out more about a current student really going places on our Student Profile.