NEWS

CHAPEL HILL — Harris Teeter has created a $1 million scholarship fund for study abroad by in-state students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, marking one of the university’s largest gifts to support international study.

The Harris Teeter Study Abroad Scholarship Program is funded with gifts of $500,000 each from the company and the Dickson Foundation Inc. Harris Teeter, the Charlotte-based supermarket chain, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Ruddick Corp.; its chairman is Alan Dickson of Charlotte, also a Dickson Foundation trustee. Dickson has served on the board of the Morehead Foundation at UNC.

"This extraordinary gift is an example of a major corporation that recognizes the importance of international education," said Dr. Bernadette Gray-Little, dean of UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences. "One of the college’s priorities is to provide an international study experience for every student. The gift from Harris Teeter and the Dickson Foundation will help us meet that goal."

The first scholarships will be awarded when the endowment generates sufficient income, most likely in fall 2009. Eventually, 25 students could receive the scholarships each year.

Scholarships will be valued at a minimum of $2,000, with greater amounts based on financial need. Any student from North Carolina is eligible, with preference for Harris Teeter associates or their children. Students can choose from more than 200 programs in 64 countries.

In a 2003 report by the Institute of International Education in New York, Carolina ranked first among public universities in the percentage of undergraduates who have studied abroad (32 percent). Nearly 1,300 Carolina students studied abroad in 2003-2004, ranking UNC 11^th among U.S. research universities in number of students receiving academic credit for international study.

"Harris Teeter is proud to expand its commitment to educating our country’s youth," said Fred Morganthall, president of Harris Teeter. "Since the inception of our Together in Education program, we have given more than $4 million to local schools. We hope the Harris Teeter Study Abroad Scholarship will allow students at UNC-Chapel Hill an opportunity to broaden their educational pursuits."

Students from North Carolina are underrepresented in study abroad at UNC, said Dr. Robert Miles, study abroad director in the college. In-state students comprise 82 percent of undergraduates, yet only 66 percent of students studying abroad are North Carolinians.

"In-state students, who pay lower tuition than their out-of-state classmates, are often surprised to learn that a study abroad program may be significantly more expensive than the cost of remaining in Chapel Hill," said Miles.

Studying abroad for a semester can cost from $6,400 to $26,000, said Miles. By contrast, the cost for the average in-state student to attend Carolina per semester is about $6,900, for tuition, fees and estimated room, board and expenses.

"Financial barriers often keep many students from even considering an international component to their education, a decision that places them at a distinct disadvantage in an increasingly interdependent economy and global society," said Miles. "The Harris Teeter Scholarship will have a major impact on our ability to assist students with financial need who want to include an academic program abroad as part of their undergraduate curriculum."

The gift counts toward the Carolina First campaign goal of $1.8 billion. Carolina First is a multi-year, private fund-raising campaign to support Carolina's vision of becoming the nation's leading public university.

Previously at UNC, the Dickson Foundation has created a distinguished professorship in oncology research and a fund for the study of economics in history. The foundation also has contributed to a scholarship fund in the School of Dentistry and building funds in the medical and business schools and the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Alan Dickson’s wife, Mary Anne Dickson, recently joined her sister in creating a fund that will enable seven Carolina students to study abroad each year, with preference given to students from Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties.

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Contacts: Bob Miles at 919-962-7002, bobmiles@email.unc.edu; Del Helton, 962-8216, del.helton@unc.edu