Applications are currently being accepted for a $750 scholarship offered by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Administrative Professionals Association (NCCEAPA). The application deadline is March 20, 2026. This scholarship is available to North Carolina residents who are pursuing an Associate's or Bachelor's degree, or a diploma program that leads to such a degree, in business or a business-related field. Applicants must be enrolled in classes at a college for the 2026-2027 academic year.
The scholarship is named in honor of Edith Cline Herter and Frances Herman O’Neal, who were Extension Secretaries in Catawba County. They played a key role in establishing the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Secretaries Association. Frances served with Extension from February 1, 1963, until her retirement on July 31, 1981. Edith retired in September 1975 after approximately five years of service.
In the summer of 1973, Edith Herter and Frances O’Neal proposed the idea of forming an Extension secretaries’ association. They reached out to fellow secretaries using their own resources and time. On July 17, 1973, they mailed a letter to all Extension secretaries in North Carolina to gauge interest in forming an organization. The positive response prompted organizational meetings in Newton, Catawba County, Southwestern District, and Asheville, West District, on Saturday, August 18, 1973.
Interested applicants can obtain an application packet from the financial aid office at their local community college or from their high school guidance counselor. For more information, contact Cindy Davis at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, Bertie County Center, by calling (252) 794-6178 or emailing cjdavi26@ncsu.edu. Applications can be submitted to Cindy Davis either by mail at 104 Lancaster Avenue, Windsor, NC 27983, or via email at cjdavi26@ncsu.edu.
