Students who may be in need because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are getting a little extra help this year from the North Carolina Pork Council.

The group’s board of directors decided this month to allocate $4,000 to N.C. A&T State University for “crisis” scholarship funds for students in the fields of agriculture, animal science, farm management, environmental science or public health, degree areas that align closely with the state’s billion-dollar pork industry.

The funds will be available for students taking courses in the 2020-21 academic year.

The N.C. Pork Council has separately committed to other financial donations to N.C. A&T and those have been reaffirmed.

Mohamed Ahmedna, Ph.D.

Dean Mohamed Ahmedna of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences said that the college is appreciative of the pork council’s support.

“We thank you for your advocacy of NCA&T, especially under such a challenging environment for the industry,” Ahmedna said. “We look forward to continuing to partner with you on ways to promote the North Carolina swine industry.”

N.C. Pork Council President Jim Lynch, an environmental specialist and family farmer from Wayne County, said the board’s action is a statement of support for the importance of educational programs that prepare future agricultural leaders.

“Our hope is that these scholarships will ease financial difficulties and ensure that students can continue to pursue their dreams,” Lynch said.

For information on how to make a gift to the college, contact Justin Lewter, director of development, at 336-285-3055 or jmlewter1@ncat.edu.