A PIVOTAL MOMENT

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.

Aid Brings Talent

Top universities invest in student aid. Not just because it’s a measure of fairness and opportunity, but because it guarantees the strongest possible class of students — the best and brightest who apply, not just the best who can pay.

That, in turn, drives every other measure of institutional excellence. Faculty are drawn by the chance to work with great students. Graduate students are drawn by the chance to teach and research alongside talented undergraduates.

Support Drives Graduation Rates

Targeted aid and scholarships also help improve student success. Programs such as the Carolina Covenant help ensure that low-income students have the resources to focus on their academics and extracurriculars — and achieve on-time graduation.