This editorial board is often critical of the University in a variety of ways. We make no apologies about this.
That said, it’s worth emphasizing that this board also believes in the fundamental mission of the University: to produce new knowledge and, as the state constitution states, ensure education “be extended to the people of the State free of expense.”
Of course, many across the University work to make this mission a reality, but one office deserves special recognition: UNC’s Office of Scholarships and Student Aid. With the upward creep of tuition at UNC, it is sometimes easy to forget that UNC is truly exceptional in providing an affordable education.
The office helps many students, but extra recognition should be given to its efforts to help students with family incomes below or near the poverty line with the Carolina Covenant. The covenant serves more than 1 in 10 undergraduate UNC students, and ensures that students from low-income families are able to graduate from UNC debt-free.
Remarkably, again due to efforts by the office, Carolina Covenant scholars are set to meet or even surpass the general student body in four-year graduation rates.
This is what effectively administered government looks like and this program is a true Carolina gem. The continued vitality of the covenant and the office should be top priorities for policymakers across all levels of governance and for people of all ideological and partisan loyalties.
