Covenant triumph: Low-income scholarship program is a proven success

Though the NCAA Championship was the main headline on Tuesday there is another Carolina victory worth celebrating: the success of the Carolina Covenant scholarship program.

A report released last week shows that the scholarship program has been even more successful than expected.

The University can take pride in this excellent program.

Not only does it guarantee low-income students to graduate debt-free but by doing so it provides higher education to those who otherwise might not have been able to attend.

And what's more UNC was the first to offer such a program. The Carolina Covenant began in 2004. Since then N.C. State University and the University of Virginia quickly developed similar programs. Our program in particular has grown to encompass about 1500 students who come from various low-income backgrounds.

Providing an education to N.C. residents regardless of their socioeconomic status epitomizes the university of the people.

And though students funded through the program have lower incomes than other students that certainly doesn't mean they will perform at a lower level.

In fact the average grade point average of Carolina Covenant students is roughly the same as that of other UNC-Chapel Hill students.

And because of the grants given by the program students can focus on schoolwork instead of stressing out about financial issues. This is precisely what the University set out to do when it established this program.

But according to students in the program financial aid isn't the only thing that makes the Carolina Covenant successful.

It works so well because students develop relationships with faculty and their peers in the program. And many of the workshops and social events are developed from student ideas and suggestions.

The program embodies the Carolina way — it allows low- income students to have the same opportunities as other students and at the same time preserves the University's reputation for academic quality.

The Carolina Covenant has been a huge success so far and we're proud that our University was the first in the nation to offer such a program.