University of North Carolina-CH tops $300 million

CHAPEL HILL — The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s annual fundraising efforts have topped $300 million for the first time.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reports the school raised $300.3 million in the 2008 fiscal year.

It’s the fifth straight record-setting year for the fundraising effort. The school raised nearly $251 million last year.

Fred Eshelman of Wilmington committed $10 million to the School of Pharmacy as part of a campaign that ended Dec. 31 that raised nearly $2.4 billion as part of UNC’s effort to become the nation’s leading public university.

The William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust provided $6 million to increase the number of students in the honors program at the College of Arts and Sciences.

Information from: The News & Observer, http://www.newsobserver.com

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)