Media Contact:
Tim Lucas, News Services, 919/515-3470

Dec. 8, 2003

Chancellor Fox to “Focus on the Future” in Concord, Kannapolis

Getting a college education is the key to a successful future, especially in hard economic times. And even though tuition is increasing, it’s within the reach of all good students, regardless of their family’s income, thanks to hundreds of millions of dollars in financial aid now being offered by NC State and other North Carolina universities and colleges.

That’s the message NC State University Chancellor Marye Anne Fox will bring to area parents, school administrators, students and business leaders when she visits Concord and Kannapolis as part of her statewide “Focus on the Future” tour on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Media coverage of her visits is welcomed.

Fox will meet with parents, school administrators and guidance counselors at Concord Middle School at 2:30 p.m. Then, she’ll talk to three groups of students in the 4-H After-School Program and their parents, beginning at 3 p.m.

Earlier in the day, she’ll bring her dual message of education and economic development to the Kannapolis Rotary Club at noon at the Kannapolis Country Club.

“Education and economic development are flip sides of the coin. They support each other and both are critical to the future of our communities,” Fox said.

“Unfortunately, many students and their families, especially those affected by the recent economic downturn, believe they can’t afford a college education. I’m coming to Concord and Kannapolis to show them that financial aid packages, coupled with low tuition, can make it affordable for all deserving students to attend one of North Carolina’s world-class public universities,” she said.

Last year, NC State provided more than $99 million in financial aid to undergraduates, she noted. Of that, $69 million was awarded to students based on their financial need, and about 84 percent of the need-based aid went to in-state students. The average need-based aid package was about $9,600, compared to a total cost of tuition, fees and room and board of $9,623.

At the noon Rotary lunch, Fox will talk about education’s role in economic development, and how NC State research and extension help communities like Kannapolis and Concord adapt to changing times and economic challenges.

“Focus on the Future” is part of Fox’s ongoing commitment to visit communities across the state, and learn about the challenges they face. Since becoming NC State’s 14th chancellor in 1998, she has met with thousands of local leaders and citizens in communities stretching from Waynesville in the western mountains to Cape Hatteras at the coast.

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