Emerald Eagle Scholars
Booker T. Washington said, “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” Since 1890, the University of North Texas has been dedicated to lifting up others.
All Emerald Eagle Scholars — including (from left) Brandon Johnson, Cody Dickerson, Tiffany Bunyavong, Harris Martin, Kimberly Garcia and Aaron Clifton — have their tuition covered for four years. Harris, a business and marketing major from Houston, told a group of mentors that he didn’t believe his hard work in high school mattered to anyone until he got a letter from UNT telling him he was accepted into the inaugural class of Emerald Eagle Scholars.
To ensure the University continues to provide a first-rate education that is both accessible and affordable for all students, President Gretchen M. Bataille launched the Emerald Eagle Scholars program — a student success program that embraces the principles of hard work, creativity and excellence — with funds raised through her April 2007 inauguration celebration.
UNT’s Emerald Eagle Scholars program is one of about 30 such programs in the nation and is a leading program in Texas.
The program gives academically talented undergraduates who have high financial need the best chance at success. The program is founded on four “philosophical pillars” — financial support, academic success, campus employment and university involvement — that are designed to support students in their quest to earn a bachelor’s degree.
This fall, UNT welcomed about 400 bright students who otherwise might not have had the opportunity to attend a university as the first group of Emerald Eagle Scholars. These students agreed to enroll in at least 15 hours, maintain a 2.5 grade point average, work in a campus job and meet regularly with an assigned peer mentor and faculty or staff mentor.
The program accepts Texas freshmen with an adjusted family income of $40,000 or less and ensures they receive paid tuition and fees for four years. To grow the program’s endowment, the University will host an Emerald Ball annually.
Read more about the Emerald Eagle Scholars Program from the UNT North Texan alumni magazine
Read profiles of six Emerald Eagle Scholars
Watch the Flash video of President Bataille announcing the creation of the Emerald Eagle Scholars Program from her April 13, 2007, inaugural address