State Budget Cuts Put Guilford Students at Risk

This year, Guilford College will experience a 40 percent reduction ($2.5 million) in need-based aid for North Carolina students due to state budget cuts. Paul Coscia '91, director of student financial services, warns, "This reduction in aid will increase the pressure on students and families at a time when student loan debt is rising nationally." As a result, many North Carolina students directly impacted by these cuts will be faced with the decision to stay at Guilford and incur more debt or consider options where more aid is available or tuition is substantially less.

In response, Guilford is trimming its budget and seeking at least $1 million over the next two years to fund financial assistance for North Carolina students affected by severe cutbacks in state-funded aid. More than 100 of our neediest students will lose more than $5,000 each in state-based aid each year.  Through additional fundraising and reallocation of existing operating funds, the college plans to offset as much of the shortfall as possible. Our challenge is to balance our commitment to accessibility with responsible stewardship of our resources.

North Carolina students are an integral part of our Guilford community. With your help we can continue to honor that tradition and ensure Guilford is a place of opportunity for current and future North Carolinians. You can be a part of ensuring access to quality education to North Carolina students by making a gift to the North Carolina Student Financial Assistance Fund today. Your gift will count towards the Advancing Excellence campaign.