UNC announced a new public service scholarship for undergraduate students.

Alumnus Scott MacDonald gave a gift to his alma mater to start the Scott D. MacDonald Community Service Scholarship.

The first class of MacDonald scholars is a group of four freshmen, who are currently wrapping up their first semester at Carolina.

“The unique part of this is as they become juniors they transition and become Scott MacDonald Fellows,” said Lynn Blanchard, director of the Carolina Center for Public Service. “The program will provide them with specific support for a project they’ve identified through their work over their first several years.”

She said incoming freshmen applying for the scholarship will be chosen based on merit and dedication to public service.

During their four years at UNC, the scholars are expected to log at least 1,000 hours of community service.

“People see that and they might say ‘oh my goodness,'” Blanchard said. “But we need to point out that we have many students who do that level of service.”

MacDonald received a master’s degree in regional planning from UNC in 1972. Blanchard said he made the gift because of the support he received during his time at Carolina.

“With the current situation of the cost of college education and often debt that students have to get into, to get their education, many have to work, She said. “The precludes them from being able to do public service or other things they might be really interested in. So what he really wanted to do was reduce the burden of cost for these students.”

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