CHARLOTTE — More students are applying for scholarships from the United Negro College Fund as a result of the pandemic.
Last year, Oprah Winfrey came to Charlotte and helped UNCF raise more than $1 million.
[Oprah donates over $1M for NC students, colleges at Charlotte fundraiser]
The need this year has grown tremendously.
“The schools had to abruptly close, so a lot of our students weren’t prepared,” said Tiffany Lynn Jones, UNCF area development director. “A lot of them did not have the resources to go home, did not have laptops or Wi-Fi or access to internet, so they could not complete their coursework when it switched to virtual. And a lot of our schools honestly weren’t prepared to switch to virtual teaching, so we’ve had to help them with different training programs, virtual learning programs -- just try to make sure our students can continue learning.”
UNCF is hosting its Maya Angelou “Women who Lead” luncheon virtually Saturday to raise funds.
The money raised stays in North Carolina to support local students, who can attend a school of their choice in the state.
Scholarships are awarded to between 250 and 400 students.