One of the ways the GAA supports current students’ educational pursuits is through scholarships provided by alumni contributions. For 2013-14, the GAA and its sponsored groups are providing scholarships and other grants to 73 students, totaling more than $128,000 — that’s up from 61 students and more than $91,000 a year earlier.
In 2001, the GAA established a $500,000 scholarship endowment that provides Carolina additional resources to help attract the best and brightest students. In 2007, the GAA Board of Directors added $50,000 to the GAA Scholars program in honor of GAA President Douglas S. Dibbert ’70 as he marked 25 years of service. Top recipients, based on high school performance and SAT score, are designated as Dibbert Scholars. The scholarships are facilitated by the UNC Office of Scholarship and Student Aid in consultation with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, with preference given to students with alumni parents. No separate application is required.
This year’s recipients are:
Light on the Hill Society Scholarship
In 2005, during the 25th anniversary celebration of the GAA-supported Black Alumni Reunion, the BAR committee created the Light on the Hill Society Scholarship. This scholarship serves as a tribute to Carolina’s early African-American graduates of the 1950s and as a vehicle to support the academic pursuits of African-American undergraduates. Scholars are first-year students selected by the LOTH scholarship committee through an application process based upon high school academic record, leadership abilities and the diversity each will add to the University.
The LOTH Society Julius Peppers Scholar receives a $2,000 award, renewable for up to three years. The award was established in 2009 with an initial $100,000 donation from Peppers ’02, a former star football player at Carolina and current professional player for the Chicago Bears. Peppers subsequently added $250,000 to the scholarship fund. The Light on the Hill Society scholars receive a one-time $2,500 award. All scholars were honored in November during the annual BAR banquet.
This year’s recipients are:
GAA-sponsored Carolina Clubs are encouraged to support UNC students from their areas through scholarships. Alumni and friends raise the funds, and the scholarships are facilitated by the UNC Office of Scholarships and Student Aid. No separate application is required. Clubs contributed more than $56,000 to scholarships this year, a record amount.
These clubs awarded scholarships for the 2013-14 academic year:
In addition to those scholarships, the Washington, D.C., Black Alumni Carolina Club contributed to the Light on the Hill Society Scholarship fund; the Los Angeles Carolina Club provided scholarships worth $250 to two students to participate in the UNC Hollywood Media Internship; and the Hong Kong Carolina Club provides scholarships to two UNC students to study there during the summer.
J. Maryon “Spike” Saunders Scholarship
J. Maryon “Spike” Saunders ’25 led the GAA for 43 years and built its membership from 700 to more than 15,000. Upon Saunders’ death in 1995, the GAA solicited funds to establish the scholarship in his honor. The scholarship is facilitated by the UNC Office of Scholarship and Student Aid. No separate application is required.
This year’s recipients are Seth Boye of Raleigh and Thomas Lasater of Broadway.
McKinney-Jones Shadow Day Scholarship
The GAA-sponsored student group Order of the Bell Tower created the McKinney-Jones Shadow Day scholarship in honor of Angie McKinney-Jones ’01, the program’s creator. This one-time $500 nonrenewable scholarship is awarded to a former Shadow Day participant who will attend Carolina as a first-year student. The Shadow Day program invites high-achieving high school juniors to campus for a daylong, interactive campus visit. Recipients are selected by the OBT scholarship committee through an application process. Information about the scholarship is sent to former Shadow Day participants who are admitted to Carolina for the fall semester.
This year’s recipient is Molly Hendricks Boutwell of Louisburg.
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