The Morehead-Cain Foundation has announced the 2009 class of Morehead-Cain Scholars at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Seventy young leaders from high schools across the United States and around the world will receive full scholarships to attend UNC for undergraduate study — including the cost of a laptop computer and four summer enrichment experiences — with additional funding for educational and experiential opportunities during their academic years. This year's cohort includes sixty-one students from the United States, including thirty-three from North Carolina, as well as three students from Great Britain, three from Canada, and one each from Austria, Hong Kong, and Turkey.

According to Morehead-Cain Foundation executive director Charles E. Lovelace, Jr., the Morehead-Cain was the first non-athletic merit scholarship program in the country and has evolved into an experiential-learning program with lifelong expectations. The value of the scholarship is now about $80,000 for each in-state student and $140,000 for each out-of-state student. More than sixteen hundred high school seniors either were nominated by their schools or applied for the 2009 scholarships. The winners were chosen from 140 finalists.

"Many finalists learned that the financial aspect of the scholarship, while important, is not the most significant benefit of the Morehead-Cain experience," said Lovelace. "The finalists learned firsthand from current scholars about how they were able to discover, explore, and pursue their passions through summer experiences, interaction with other scholars, and advising from staff and alumni."

For a complete list of 2009 Morehead-Cain scholarship recipients, visit the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Web site.