In the wake of the Rashad McCants scandal, the University of North Carolina is taking steps to help former athletes and the universities public relations in one swoop.
According to ESPN.com, UNC is inviting former athletes who left school early back to finish their degrees. The program called “Complete Carolina,” will be available for athletes who were in good academic standing when they left. Athletes would receive scholarships or financial support.
The program will start the readmission process for the former athletes, whether they left early to enter a professional sports league or for personal reasons. It would then provide academic and career counseling along the way.
The athletic department will fund the program, which Folt called “a pledge for their lives.”
“We hope we can get as many students attracted as possible,” athletic director Bubba Cunningham said, “because we think it’s the right thing to do.”
Folt told UNC’s board of trustees Thursday that the program will start receiving applications in September. She says the school has offered these opportunities informally for years but is now formalizing the program.