As a senior at Patton High School in Morganton, N.C., Thomas Singley realized he wanted to attend UNC. But he didn't want to impose a significant financial burden on his mother.
His older brother and sister had attended private schools. And aware of the costs associated with that, he had started searching for other ways he could come to Carolina. That's when he learned about Naval ROTC scholarships.
"The stars aligned," said Singley, a senior on the North Carolina wresting team, "and I found out that, yes, I did in fact want to serve my country in some capacity.