President V. Lane Rawlins with Emerald Eagle Scholars
What: Emerald Eagle Honors, which will benefit Emerald Eagle Scholar endowment. The event, which replaces the Emerald Eagle Ball, will celebrate former UNT students who have made significant contributions to American culture and society -- "Mean" Joe Greene ('69), former Pittsburgh Steeler and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; the late Rock and Roll icon Roy Orbison; and Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm ('74 M.S., '84 M.B.A.).
When: 6:30 p.m. April 15, 2013
Where: Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas
Cost: Individual tickets are $300 Loge; $300 Orchestra Floor; $200 Orchestra Terrace; $200 Dress Circle; $150 Grand Tier
UNT's Emerald Eagle Scholars program, which provides financial assistance to academically talented students with high financial need, reached a milestone in October when an endowment funding the program exceeded $590,000 thanks to support from the U.S. Department of Education and generous donors.
The Emerald Eagle Scholars program received $295,000 from donors over a five-year period. Those funds were then matched by the U.S. Department of Education as part of a comprehensive institutional Title III grant.
The award represents the maximum amount for which UNT was eligible, says George Wendt, assistant vice president for advancement services. When UNT applied for Title III funding in 2007, the application included a specific earmark for the Emerald Eagle Scholars program contingent on the university's ability to raise private support for the program, he says.
The Emerald Eagle Scholars program was included in the Title III grant because it is an ideal example of what the grant is supposed to do -- act as a force multiplier for student success, says Dale Tampke, dean of undergraduate studies and the principal investigator for the Title III grant.
"When we are able to combine private funds, state support and federal dollars to provide opportunities for students like those who participate in the Emerald Eagle Scholars program, we create the best kind of synergy," Tampke says.
Thanks, in part, to the success of UNT's Emerald Eagle Ball, an annual benefit held to support the program, UNT was able to raise enough private funding to make UNT eligible for the federal matching funds, Wendt says.
In April, the UNT Foundation will host the inaugural Emerald Eagle Honors, which replaces the Emerald Eagle Ball,to benefit the Emerald Eagle Scholar endowment. Endowment funds for the Emerald Eagle Scholars program and all endowed university scholarships are managed by the UNT Foundation.
About the Emerald Eagle Scholars program
The Emerald Eagle Scholars program was created in 2007 to help academically talented students with high financial need earn a college degree. The program provides scholars with mentoring and covers tuition and fees. In return, scholars are expected to become actively involved on campus, work in an on-campus job, enroll in 15 hours of classes each semester, maintain an overall GPA of at least 2.5 and graduate in four years. The Emerald Eagle Scholars program is designed to emphasize financial support, academic success and campus connection. These philosophical pillars provide students not just funding, but academic guidance and involvement in the university community. Learn more about the Emerald Eagle Scholars and make a gift to the program. Visit the Emerald Eagle Honors website for ticketing and sponsorship information.
Jaime Blanton with UNT News Service can be reached at Jaime.Blanton@unt.edu.
|
