New merit scholarship to help wealthy, advantaged students attend UNC at no cost!

By Nupur Shah

Today, the UNC Office of Scholarships and Student Aid announced the new, MoreMoney-LessProblems Merit Scholarship, in an effort to provide an enriching, empowering program at no cost to students exhibiting excellence in leadership, character, academics, and athletics. The scholarship will include tuition, room and board, as well as access to four summer enrichment programs and even more soft benefits!

Kathy White, the Chairwoman of the Committee for Unfirmative Action, is ecstatic about this brand new program. “We were seeing that increasingly, need-based scholarships and financial aid were taking priority over the ability of wealthier students to attend UNC for free,” White said. “This seemed very unfair to me, so it became my mission to create the MoreMoney-LessProblems, a scholarship framed specifically to advantage wealthy high-school students who grow up with connections and privilege.” 

White told us that because this scholarship will look for candidates demonstrating utmost refinement, it will be almost impossible for “another poor kid to squeeze more money out of UNC.” While the scholarship website says the committee is looking for students who demonstrate excellence in academics, athletics, and professional communication skills, White told us “candidates who can speak about being invited to multiple parties at Mar-A-Lago, owning mansions in the Hamptons, or being able to afford to pay someone else to take their SAT really stand out to us as MoreMoney material.”

“Of course the system isn’t perfect,” White said. “Every now and then, there will be a poor kid, or even a minority, that will become a MoreMoney. However, I think that we have effectively created a program that will make that a less common occurrence.” 

Along with the targeted student group, White was excited to tell us about the additional opportunities that will come with the MoreMoney-LessProblems Scholarship. 

“Unlike money awarded from FAFSA, or any other need-based scholarship, the MoreMoney will cover costs of four summer enrichment activities, and will give awardees access to a network of MoreMoney alumni, unlocking access to a variety of jobs in high-paying industries,” White said. “One of our core concerns is ensuring that students who come into UNC as MoreMoney-LessProblems Scholars continue to be wealthy after they graduate, so we do everything we can to ensure that.”  

I think it’s safe to say that White, the UNC Office of Scholarships and Student Aid, and every parent in North Carolina who shops at Whole Foods are all beyond excited about this program and the possibilities it brings with it.