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North Carolina announces plans for program that aims to help former athletes complete their degree

Nate Britt, Roy Williams

North Carolina coach Roy Williams, left, talks with Nate Britt during practice for the NCAA college basketball tournament in San Antonio, Thursday, March 20, 2014. North Carolina plays Providence in a second-round game on Friday. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

AP

With the NCAA reopening its probe into the North Carolina basketball program, the Tar Heels have come under fire due in large part to questions regarding the academic side of things. With former player Rashad McCants stating that he took no-show classes and earned a 4.0 GPA after struggling mightily in the classroom, detractors have wondered what it would take for the NCAA to not only revisit the situation but also punish Roy Williams’ program if their findings made it necessary to do so.

Yet even with this situation hanging over the athletic department North Carolina is making an effort to help its former scholarship athletes complete their degree requirements. On Thursday plans for the the “Complete Carolina” program were announced, with the school using donations from its boosters to help finance the scholarships given to returning athletes.

UNC Chancellor Carol Folt announced the program, dubbed “Complete Carolina,” to the university trustees on Thursday. Having athletes come back isn’t new at Carolina, but Folt said the new program will formalize that invitation and put more resources into supporting former scholarship athletes who return.

Scholarships for those who accept the invitation will be paid for by UNC’s booster organization known as the Rams Club. The athletic department will cover any additional expense. To have boosters and the athletics budget paying for academics will be a refreshing turn from academics being compromised to support athletics.


North Carolina isn’t the first school to do this and they won’t be the last (hopefully), because there shouldn’t be a problem helping out an athlete who wants to return in order to complete their degree. As for current athletes, the school also stated that it will be more vigilant in making sure that the questionable/non-existent courses at the center of the academic controversy are no longer available.

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