UNC is launching a $20 million scholarship initiative to provide financial aid for middle-income undergraduate students from North Carolina.

University Chancellor Carol Folt is expected to announce the new program at a University Day event celebrating the university’s 225th birthday.

The scholarship initiative will be known as the Blue Sky Scholars program and is getting started with a $5 million gift from UNC alumnus and former president of the UNC System Erskine Bowles. The university has a goal to raise an additional $15 million to support the program.

“Today it is my pleasure to announce the Blue Sky Scholars program to help middle-class families facing the overwhelming burden of college debt. This distinctive program expands Carolina’s commitment to excellent, affordable higher education for the hardworking people in our state,” Folt said in a release. “Thanks to a generous lead gift from Erskine Bowles, we will make the promise of a Carolina education possible for even more students and their families, regardless of their ability to pay.”

This initiative is aimed at complimenting other university efforts and fill a gap in student needs. The university has been growing the Carolina Covenant program in recent years after it was launched in 2003 to guarantee students from low-income families graduate debt free.

Middle-income students will be defined for the purpose of this scholarship as “those whose household incomes average $75,000 per year.” University officials said this group “make up the majority of North Carolinians who receive need-based aid at Carolina.”

There are two middle-income students who are “supported by other forms of institutionally funded aid,” for every low-income student eligible for the Carolina Covenant, according to the university.

Officials estimate that Blue Sky Scholars will graduate with debt of $10,000 or less. The average debt for the graduating class of 2017 was estimated at $22,000, according to the university, which officials said was 22 percent less than the national average.

“Carolina has a rich history of serving the people and state of North Carolina. The Blue Sky Scholars program is designed to serve more North Carolinians,” Bowles said in a release. “We want to recruit more of these promising, middle-income students and set them up to succeed while at Carolina and well beyond graduation. Not only are we helping prepare tomorrow’s leaders, we’ll help them hit the ground running in a modern workforce and without burdensome college debt.”

The gift from Bowles will go toward the university’s $4.25 billion goal for the current fundraising campaign.

Related Stories
‹
Chapel Hill Alerts Residents To Upcoming S. Columbia Road Closure
The Town of Chapel Hill announced that a section of S. Columbia St. will be closed as UNC conducts maintenance on its steam tunnel system.
Multiple UNC Football Players Facing Reckless Driving Charges
Several UNC football players are facing charges of reckless driving, speeding and other violations. An investigation by WRAL, originally published Monday afternoon, reported that “nearly 20 percent” of UNC’s 101-man roster has been cited for speeding since October of 2024. The investigation named three specific players: linebacker Khmori House, safety Gavin Gibson and cornerback Thaddeus […]
Parking, Parties and Team History: What to Know Ahead of Mexico vs. Türkiye Soccer in Chapel Hill
The men's national soccer teams of Mexico and Türkiye will meet in Chapel Hill Tuesday for a friendly. Here's what to know before you go.
Police: UNC Student Victim of Carjacking in W. Franklin Street Parking Deck
Chapel Hill Police are investigating the carjacking of a UNC student that took place early Saturday morning. No injuries are reported.
Honoring Chapel Hill's Black Builders: UNC Landmarks and the Local Faces Who Built Them
Maps are storytellers, but they can exclude certain narratives. Fowota Mortoo said that’s the case for Chapel Hill’s Black builders.
No More Coal? Chapel Hill Prepares for Hearing on UNC's Co-Gen Plant and Potential New Fuel Source
Chapel Hill Town Hall will host a hearing on Thursday to take comments on a potential alternative fuel source for UNC's cogeneration plant.
Photo Gallery: Chapel Hill Sees First Snow in Years
For a few hours over the weekend, the greater Chapel Hill community was in a winter wonderland. A winter storm blanketed Orange County and the surrounding area with a thin layer of snow on Friday. Overnight on Saturday, it was later packed down or rinse away by freezing rain, which its own layer of ice […]
UNC: Ridge Road Open to One Lane After Month-Long Closure, Still 2 Weeks From Normal Traffic
Ridge Road on UNC campus is allowing vehicles and pedestrians through once again. But normal traffic patterns are likely still weeks away.
Chapel Hill Police Investigate Pair of Overnight Armed Robberies Reported 8 Minutes Apart
A pair of armed robberies reportedly took place less than ten minutes from each other during the early morning hours of Saturday, according to Chapel Hill Police.
Chapel Hill Jeweler Contributes 'Blue Crown' Prop to Latest Season of Netflix's 'Outer Banks'
Chapel Hill jeweler William Travis Kukovich was hired to create the Blue Crown, a featured prop, for Netflix's new season of "Outer Banks."
›