RALEIGH — North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) has distributed $96,600 in UPS Scholarships to 36 low-income students at independent colleges and universities in the state. The scholarships were made possible by a grant from the UPS Educational Endowment Fund administered by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) in Washington, DC.

“We are deeply appreciative of the partnership with UPS and the Council of Independent Colleges which has resulted in scholarship assistance to deserving students for the past 41 years,” said NCICU President A. Hope Williams.

Nationally, CIC and the UPS Foundation teamed up to provide nearly $1.5 million in student scholarships this year, which will be distributed through state-based private college associations around the country.

Independent colleges and universities in North Carolina that received UPS Scholarships this year from NCICU include: Barton College, Belmont Abbey College, Bennett College, Brevard College, Cabarrus College of Health Sciences, Campbell University, Catawba College, Davidson College, Duke University, Elon University, Gardner-Webb University, Greensboro College, Guilford College, High Point University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lees-McRae College, Lenoir-Rhyne University, Livingstone College, Louisburg College, Mars Hill University, Meredith College, Methodist University, Montreat College, N.C. Wesleyan College, Pfeiffer University, Queens University of Charlotte, St. Andrews University, Saint Augustine’s University, Salem College, Shaw University, University of Mount Olive, Wake Forest University, Warren Wilson College, William Peace University and Wingate University.

“Helping to make college affordable for students from underserved populations is a truly critical need in our society, and it is rewarding to know that the UPS Foundation is addressing this important issue head-on,” said Richard Ekman, president of CIC. “The independent colleges and universities in this country have a remarkable track record in educating and graduating low-income and first generation students, so it is natural that the UPS Foundation would want to work through CIC and its member institutions in this special scholarship program.”

“UPS’s long-standing policies and inclusive culture make it one of the most diverse companies in the world. The UPS Foundation is committed to support effective programs—like the UPS scholarship program through CIC—that provide diverse populations with advancement opportunities,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of the UPS Foundation. “Key partners such as CIC help to advance our mission. The UPS scholarship program has made a college education possible for more than 19,000 low-income and first generation students and has had a transformative impact on individual lives, on families, and on communities across this country. UPS and its employees, active and retired, invested more than $110 million in charitable giving around the world, including more than 2.3 million hours of volunteer service, to local communities around the world in 2015.”