A PIVOTAL MOMENT
The growing need for undergraduate scholarship support in the wake of COVID-19
As the nation’s first public university, UNC-Chapel Hill has embodied the promise of American higher education for more than two centuries. That promise rests on a single premise: Every student who has done the hard work to gain admission to Carolina, gets admission to Carolina — regardless of their financial circumstances.
Remaining true to this promise comes at a financial cost, and that cost has only become more daunting in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We anticipate COVID-19’s impact will result in needing up to an additional $15 million in aid in 2020-21, which would represent a 18% increase over the prior year.

With more deserving students than ever demonstrating more need than ever, and with fewer public resources to support them, private philanthropy is ever more critical to meeting our commitment.
Scholarships Benefit The Entire Campus
Scholarships enable us to recruit the strongest students from all backgrounds to Carolina. These talented, hard-working students bring a range of life experiences that enrich the education of everyone around them.
We work hard to keep Carolina affordable while providing excellence at all levels. That record of commitment has enabled us to attract the best students from across North Carolina, the nation and around the globe. To remain true to our commitment, we must offer privately funded scholarships. In every case, we intend to give our students the edge they need.
Specifically, we aim to raise undergraduate support for the Carolina Covenant, middle income scholarships through the Blue Sky Scholars program, merit scholarships and student-athlete scholarships; and fellowships and grants for graduate and professional students.