BACKGROUND

Chancellor cites recent N.C. plant closings in reminder about student financial aid

For your information, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chancellor James Moeser has e-mailed Carolina students to remind them about services provided by the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid in the wake of recent N.C. plant closings including Pillowtex. The e-mail text below may provide background for future back-to-school stories about North Carolina higher education.

August 13, 2003

Dear New and Returning Carolina Students;

These tough economic times pose significant challenges for employees and their families in virtually every state. North Carolina has experienced manufacturing plant closings including Pillowtex in Kannapolis, Hooker Furniture in Kernersville, and Tuscarora Yarns in Kinston, to name just three recent announcements. Many other businesses in our state have shut down or reduced operations because of the downturn.

We understand that you and your families may be affected by the shaky economy. That’s why we at Carolina want our students to be fully aware of the excellent services available in the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid. We have a strong program of need-based scholarships and financial aid and are committed to providing resources to qualified students who need help attending Carolina. We realize that it’s difficult enough to pay for college when times are good. Job losses and the current fiscal environment makes reaching that goal much more difficult. We want to make sure that the help the University can provide is available to those who need it the most.

If your family has been faced with recent economic hardships or other adversity that may affect your Carolina education, please consider contacting the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid. You may call (919) 962-8396 or visit www.unc.edu/studentaid/.

Sincerely,

Chancellor James Moeser

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News Services contact: Mike McFarland, (919) 962-8593