The Honorable Thad Eure North Carolina Achievement Scholarship
This new program is designed to recognize talented students with financial need from 12 counties in the Piedmont region* of North Carolina. The goal of the program is to provide an educational opportunity for high achieving students who might not otherwise be able to afford an Elon education.
*Eligible recipients will reside in and be graduating from a high school in one of the following counties: Alamance, Orange, Durham, Chatham, Randolph, Davidson, Guilford, Forsyth, Rockingham, Caswell, Wake and Person.
The Legacy of Thad Eure
Thad Eure was elected secretary of state in 1936
and served under 13 North Carolina governors. Known for his
signature bow ties and straw hats, he was a parliamentary
expert and taught each new class of freshman legislators the
rules of conduct. He was a champion of common citizens and
children, and insisted that the door to his office never be
closed to the public. In 1987 President Ronald Reagan
recognized Eure as having held public office longer than any
official in the nation with more than 64 years of continuous
service.
Eure had extensive family ties to Elon. Both of his grandfathers were devoted to the college and his aunt, sister, two brothers and four grandchildren attended Elon and one great granddaughter attends currently. Remaining faithful to Elon, Eure joined the board of trustees in 1942. He was elected chairman in 1955 and served in that role until he retired in 1989. Eure had a booming voice and gave powerful speeches on campus, ending with the pronouncement, "Long Live Elon!" This tradition continues today at Commencement, when graduates join with the University President in hailing Elon. Eure died in 1993 at the age of 93.
Scholarship and Program Opportunities
The scholarship award will be $12,000 annually,
renewable for three years for a total award of $48,000. This
scholarship will be part of a financial aid package combined
with other scholarships, grants, loans and need-based aid to
meet up to the full financial need of the recipient.
In addition, several program opportunities are included in
the program:
• Prior to the freshman year, students will attend a university-sponsored summer
experience, such as Adventures in Leadership or the
Pre-Serve Summer Program.
• Students will be assigned a community or regional
mentor as well as a faculty mentor to guide their academic
and civic commitments.
• Freshmen will be encouraged to live in a university
living-learning
community that has either an academic or special-interest
focus.
• All recipients will receive a $4,000 grant to support
their participation in the Elon Experiences during their
sophomore, junior and senior years. This grant carries with
it the expectation that students will participate in the full
range of Elon Experiences during their four years, including
participation in the Emerging Leaders program of the Isabella
Canon Leadership Program, undergraduate research if
appropriate to their interest, study abroad and an
internship. Scholarship recipients will be expected to
contribute service each year in a university-approved project
or agency, such as El Centro de Espanol, programs sponsored
by the Kernodle Center for Service Learning or
department-based service projects.
Participation Requirements
Scholarship recipients will be expected to maintain
a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher throughout their four years
at Elon. In addition to completing program requirements
outlined above, recipients must be enrolled full-time and
take 30-credit hours per year in order to remain eligible for
scholarship renewal.
Students will also be encouraged to work on campus through the FWSP or IWSP program.
Selection Criteria
Students who reside in and will graduate from a
high school in one of the 12 counties designated above must
apply for consideration for the program. A special
application is included or available online.
All required applications materials must be complete
and post marked no later than February 8. In
addition, all financial aid forms (FAFSA, CSS Profile and the
Elon Aid Application) should be completed no later than
February 5. A university committee will select finalists for
an interview. Three students will be selected each year based
on the interview, high school academic achievement and
leadership, teacher recommendation and demonstrated financial
need. Notification will be made in early April.
The most competitive applicants will have a high school GPA of 3.4 or higher and an SAT total score (including writing) of 1700 or higher. Students should exhibit significant involvement and leadership in high school, church, community, sports or fine arts activities. Local or regional recognition, honors or awards will also be an asset in the application review.
