GROUPS DONATE OVER $700,000 TO STUDENT EMERGENCY FUNDS

CHAPEL HILL, NC - The University of North Carolina System announces that various entities have donated over $700,000 to student emergency funds, which will be used to support students across the UNC System. 

The University of North Carolina System

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                           

May 19, 2020                                                                                                                             

Gifts from UNC ASG inspire others to contribute 

The donations were inspired by an original gesture from the University of North Carolina Association of Student Governments (UNC ASG), which donated $65,000 to constituent institutions’ student emergency funds. An anonymous donor generously matched this initial contribution. 

The coronavirus pandemic forced UNC ASG to cancel or reschedule a number of events earlier this year. Rather than letting the dollars originally earmarked for event planning and travel sit idly, UNC ASG announced that it would distribute the money to institution funds specifically designed to support UNC System students. The organization soon learned that this charitable gesture would have an even greater impact than anticipated, when the anonymous donor matched the funds.

Inspired by this generosity other funders stepped up with a matching or larger gift. These include a $250,000 gift from the John M. Belk Endowment, a $235,000 gift from the C.D. Spangler Foundation, and a $160,000 contribution from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.

“I would like to applaud the UNC ASG for its recent decision to redirect $65,000 to student emergency funds at each of our institutions,” said UNC System Interim President Bill Roper. “Thanks to UNC ASG’s strategic thinking and the generous matching and exceeding gifts, these dollars will have an immediate impact on the lives of students who are struggling financially as a result of this crisis. I’m grateful to each of these donors for their support.”
Because needs and resources differ at each institution, UNC ASG decided that the initial $65,000 donation would be allocated to the 17 constituent institutions according to their percentage of students who are Pell Grant recipients. Each university received at least $2,000. This funding has already been transferred to institutions across the UNC System and is available to students immediately. 

Students experiencing financial hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic should contact their institution’s student emergency fund and apply for assistance using the process established by their institution.