The 209 schools featured in the guide’s ” were identified primarily based on data from the company’s surveys of administrators at more than 650 colleges in 2024-25.

Criteria covered everything from academics, cost, and financial aid to graduation rates, and student debt.

The Princeton Review also factored in data from its surveys of students attending the schools as well as data from PayScale.com’s surveys of alumni of the schools about their starting and mid-career salaries and job satisfaction. Elon received an ROI rating score of 88 out of 99.

, students were quoted in a summary of feedback derived from survey responses:

The student-centered approach of North Carolina’s �þ��� is woven throughout the many hallmarks of its education, which include global engagement, service learning, and mentorship. All students are required to complete experiential learning via Elon Experiences, which can include study abroad, internships, or research, and the core curriculum “requires students from all majors to take many different classes outside their major,” ensuring that they “have a very high level of openness.” This is coupled with “many personalized resources that Elon provides to succeed beyond the classroom,” and an “amazing support system of resources for everyone.” This extends to career development as well, as Elon provides “massive amounts of leadership opportunities and is very hands-on when it comes to helping students get internships,” and there are “many free learning labs and workshops all across campus that allow students to experience new concepts both in and out of the classroom.”

“The schools on our ‘Best Value Colleges’ lists this year are truly exceptional,” said Rob Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review. “They offer outstanding academics and excellent career services. They also demonstrate extraordinary commitments to affordability via generous financial aid and/or comparatively low sticker prices. We commend them for all that they do to help students afford to attend them and we recommend them highly to college applicants.”

About The Princeton Review

The Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep and college admissions services company. Every year, it helps millions of college- and graduate school-bound students as well as working professionals achieve their education and career goals through its many education services and products. Founded in 1981, The Princeton Review is now in its 44th year.

About �þ���

�þ��� is a nationally recognized leader in engaged, experiential learning that prepares graduates to be creative, resilient, ambitious and ethical citizens of our global culture.

At Elon, more than 7,000 students learn through hands-on experiences and close working relationships with faculty and staff whose priorities are �þ��� and mentoring. The curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts and sciences with emphasis on global experiences and career development. More than 70 �þ��� majors are complemented by professional and graduate programs in law, business, education and health care. Elon is ranked No. 1 for excellence in �þ��� �þ��� by U.S. News & World Report.

Elon’s academic divisions include Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences; the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business; the School of Communications; the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education; the School of Health Sciences; and the School of Law, with programs in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina.

The program was established by Congress on June 23, 1972, through the Higher Education Amendments of 1972 and was initially named the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant Program. To recognize his work on the landmark higher education funding initiative, the program was renamed in 1980 for U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island.

Today, children from families with a household income below $60,000 can benefit from Pell Grants, which can provide nearly $7,000 annually toward higher education costs to students from low-income families. During its history, the Pell Grant has helped more than 80 million students attend college.

For Kenneth Brown Jr. ’19, qualifying for the Pell Grant was a critical step toward attending Elon as part of the Odyssey Program, a highly selective merit-based program for students who are academically strong and who demonstrate leadership as well as financial need. Brown was elected SGA president his senior year at Elon and served Elon as a youth trustee after his graduation.

“Having the Pell Grant status due to my financial background allowed me to apply to the Odyssey program and allowed me to have so many wonderful experiences while not having to worry as much about how I was going to be able to pay for my education,” said Brown, who was able to study abroad in Scotland as an Odyssey Scholar. He is now pursuing his master’s in higher education at Indiana University  Bloomington.

To qualify for a Pell Grant, students fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is then used to determine a student’s expected family contribution. The FAFSA is the basis for eligibility as well as the amount of aid students will receive through the Pell Grant program.

Pell Grants are the single largest source of grants for postsecondary education, with more than one-third of �þ���s nationally receiving Pell Grants during the 2021-22 academic year.

Pell Grants are “absolutely crucial when you think about how to level the playing field” for those students who come from lower-income families, said Marcus Elliott, director of the Odyssey Program at Elon.

“Pell Grants and additional financial aid awards create pathways for students to access the power of education, which really has the ability to change their lives, their family members’ lives, and the trajectory of generations to follow,” Elliott said. “They can help provide the opportunity for an individual to go to school and earn a four-year degree, which can drastically improve their earning power over their lifetime, and their ability to give back to society.”

The Pell Grant is an important part of Elon’s ability to enroll students who qualify, according to Greg Zaiser, vice president for enrollment. Combining Pell with other federal, state and institutional funds often makes the difference for students Elon wants to enroll.

“Elon’s ability to enroll certain students is dependent in part on the Pell Grant,” Zaiser said. “The funding in combination with other scholarships and aid makes an Elon education possible.”

Pell Grants can be particularly important in extending the possibility of attending college to populations that have historically been marginalized. Brown, who wrote a paper for a graduate school course about the Pell Grant program this spring, notes that more can be done to make students aware of Pell Grants and to make the FAFSA application process easier to complete.

“We need to be looking at ways to work with students so that they can understand that if they want to go to college, from a federal government standpoint, here is what they might be able to provide me,” Brown said.

Pell Grants typically provide a foundation for a financial aid package that is supplemented by other awards from schools as well as outside organizations. For most students, it is not sufficient to cover the entire cost of attending college, particularly given the rise in higher education costs during the past several decades. The maximum Pell Grant amount has increased over time, but has been generally outpaced by increases in higher education costs.

That makes efforts to increase the resources colleges and universities can dedicate to scholarships all the more important, Brown said. For instance, the Elon LEADS Campaign has made scholarships its top priority, including generating financial support for new Odyssey Program scholarships that when coupled with the Pell Grant can increase access to an Elon education.

“Elon’s Odyssey Program has grown thanks to the incredible generosity of donors who believe in the transformational power of an Elon education,” Zaiser said.

Elon has other efforts to increase its endowment and fund scholarships, such as the “A Stay with Purpose” mission of The Inn at Elon, with profits from operations supporting scholarships for Elon students.

“The Pell Grant is part of a multifaceted approach by the federal government as well as colleges and universities to try to find ways to make college more affordable and expand access to more students,” Brown said.

This summer, the university was fortunate to have five of these new retirees come back to campus to offer brief remarks featuring highlights from their illustrious careers at Elon.

Each retiree was offered an opportunity to share their thoughts about their time at Elon and their plans for retirement, with responses included below.

Larry Basirico, professor of sociology

Basirico retired on May 27, 2020, after joining the faculty at Elon in August 1983. He worked through the ranks of assistant professor of sociology to tenured associate professor to tenured full professor and now faculty emeritus of sociology. Basirico chaired the Department of Sociology for a total of 15 years and served as dean of international programs (now Global Education) for five years.

Basirico says his favorite Elon memory is initiating the university’s study abroad program in Florence, Italy, while he served as dean of International Programs. He also fondly remembers later serving as Elon’s faculty in residence in Florence in fall 2013.

Basirico is currently completing the seventh edition of an Introduction to Sociology textbook for BVT Publishers. He plans to continue to study Italian language, practice guitar, travel, do yard work, spend time with family, continue writing articles for the public, and play golf. He also has not ruled out the possibility of a return to creating stained glass windows, which he did professionally for seven years.

Basirico says he will miss �þ��� and the collegiality of his department as he concludes his time at Elon.

Lynne Bisko, outreach librarian and associate librarian

Bisko retired from Elon in May 2020 after joining the staff in June 2003. After working for 20 years in software project management, Bisko earned a Master of Library Science and wanted to work in North Carolina to be closer to family. Bisko said Elon was a “perfect fit” because it allowed her to use both her previous work experience and newly minted M.L.S. knowledge.

Bisko began as the non-print librarian, cataloging audiovisual materials for Belk Library’s collection. She also provided instruction and research support to the Art, Art History, Music, and Performing Arts departments as their library liaison. In 2012 Bisko moved into a new position as the outreach librarian, responsible for the design, implementation, marketing and assessment of programs to promote library resources and services. Bisko also managed the library’s social media, coordinated the library’s presence and participation in campus events and led the Personal Librarian Program, which launched in 2011.

On her favorite memory, Bisko says, “I have way too many favorite memories to pick just one, so I will share that what I will miss most is the people I have met through all the experiences I’ve had at Elon, including my library colleagues, students and faculty in my library liaison departments, students in my Elon 101 classes, and the Elon in NYC faculty. I am extremely grateful for all of the opportunities I have had to collaborate with so many fantastic people at Elon.”

Bisko plans to stay in Elon, spend time with family and friends, travel and attend as many cultural and sporting events on campus as possible.

Jim Bissett, professor of history

Bissett retired from Elon in May 2020 after joining the faculty in 1990. Fresh out of graduate school, a full-time �þ��� position at Elon appealed to Bissett because of the university’s proximity to Asheville, where he and his wife grew up and where they have family.

Bissett served as �þ��� faculty for his entire 30-year career. During that time, he also served as chair of the Department of History and Geography, chair of Academic Council and president of Elon’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors.

Bissett has many fond memories from his time at Elon but says, “among the most memorable are receiving the Daniels-Danieley Award for Excellence in Teaching and leading the U.S. History Study Tour, a Winter Term travel course for the Teaching Fellows Program, more than 20 times. I was fortunate to work in a very collegial department, and I will miss my departmental friends and colleagues.”

In retirement, Bissett says “I will relish the opportunity to begin reading books that I never seemed to have time to read while I was �þ���.”

Jim Donathan, associate director of academic advising and director of academic support

Donathan retired on May 29, 2020, after coming to Elon in the fall of 1994 to specifically work with Lela Faye Rich, former associate dean of academic support, after meeting her at a national conference. After seeing her in several break-out sessions and noticing the questions she asked, Donathan recalled “I said to myself, ‘I want to work with her someday.’ Fortunately, I got that opportunity and have been at Elon ever since.”

In his time at Elon, Donathan served as associate director of academic advising, director of academic support and assistant professor.

Donathan says he will miss working with members of Kappa Alpha Order, the fraternity he joined as an �þ��� and has been associated with ever since. Donathan said he has seen the unsung contributions that fraternity and sorority members routinely make to campus, and wants to see these organizations continue to play a role in campus life.

On his plans for retirement, Donathan says, “I love and miss living in the mountains of North Carolina and have considered moving to Asheville.”

Judy Dulberg, MBA program manager

Dulberg retired from Elon in December 2019 after working for 17 years at the university. The daughter of an elementary school teacher and business manager at Penn State University, Dulberg said working in education always seemed like the natural path for her. She decided to apply to work at Elon after moving to Burlington and seeing an ad for the opening of Elon’s School of Business.

Dulberg was originally hired as a part-time program assistant in the School of Business. Within a year she became a full-time program assistant and later began working strictly with the MBA program – first as program coordinator, then MBA program manager.

Dulberg says what she will miss most are the students. “During my 17 years at Elon, my life has been truly enriched by all the students I’ve gotten to know; I know I’m a better person for it … My home is filled with photos from study abroads I went on with them, as well as other mementos from over the years, and I still stay in touch with quite a few. It was the absolute perfect job for me!”

Dulberg moved to Tucson, Arizona, following retirement. She’s excited to take in the sunshine, dry climate, mountains, wide-open spaces and outdoor lifestyle year-round. She looks forward to recharging with some of her favorite activities, volunteering in her community and exploring her new home state.

Martin Latta, mail clerk

Latta joined the Elon staff on Labor Day in 1999. He retired in May 2020 as a mail clerk at the university.

Latta says he will miss interacting with the Elon community the most.

When asked about his future plans for retirement, Latta simply wrote, “Take it Eassssssy.”

Dale Lunsford, assistant to the dean and associate deans at the �þ��� School of Law

Lunsford retired in May 2020 after joining the Elon staff in June 2009 after her supervisor at Jefferson Pilot Financial, where she worked as a marketing director, alerted her to an open position at Elon Law. Lunsford says she immediately knew Elon was a perfect fit. “I was in love with the job, staff and students from day one,” she said.

Lunsford served the School of Law as assistant to the dean from 2009-2015 and assistant to the dean and associate dean from 2015-2020.

Lunsford says her favorite memory was the honor of meeting and helping host former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Sandra Day O’Connor when she returned to the School of Law for a distinguished leadership lecture.

As for her future plans, Lunsford says, “To slow down and relax. To spend more time with family and friends. To cook meals for them again. To enjoy life. To not sweat the small stuff. To read more. To move to Raleigh to be closer to my daughter, son-in-law and two precious grandchildren, Lucy and Ian. To be able to pick them up after school every day and have more weekend sleepovers. To volunteer to hold the babies in the hospital maternity and neonatal units. To enjoy really living again. Retirement is such a blessing.”

Linda Martindale, program assistant, World Languages and Cultures

Martindale retired in May 2020 after first becoming a program assistant at Elon in January 1990. Martindale began her journey as a student at Elon in 1979, when she enrolled as a non-traditional student and worked toward a degree in office administration for eight years.

In her time at Elon, Martindale served as program assistant for a variety of departments. She also served the Academic Council, Provost’s Office and Phi Kappa Phi honor society. She retired as program assistant for World Languages and Cultures.

Martindale says she will miss the students, faculty and community she was part of at Elon. “Elon’s faculty and staff are special,” she said. “In knowing them, your world grows and is enhanced by views and ideas.”

Becky Olive-Taylor, executive director of the Koenigsberger Learning Center, director of academic advising and assistant professor of English

Olive-Taylor retired from Elon in June 2020 after 42 years of distinguished service to the university. Olive-Taylor joined the Elon staff as a part-time instructor in English in the summer of 1978.

In the early 1990s, as director of Elon 101 and assistant director of academic advising, she was instrumental in leading an initiative to move Elon 101 to a curriculum emphasizing advising and academic planning. Olive-Taylor became the associate dean for academic advising, assuming leadership for disabilities resources and peer tutoring. Olive-Taylor has been a tireless champion for Elon students to ensure they receive the support and advising necessary to be successful. In her time as a leader, she greatly enhanced services and staff for disabilities and brought the peer tutoring program to a place that allowed for the recent transition to a CRLA-certified learning assistance program.

Most recently, Olive-Taylor became the founding executive director of the Koenigsberger Learning Center, which incorporates academic advising, disabilities resources and learning assistance while continuing to serve as director of academic advising. Olive-Taylor’s work and advocacy for Elon students was instrumental in securing the gift to establish and endow the Koenigsberger Learning Center. She recently received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award and was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, both recognitions of her character and deep commitment to Elon’s educational mission.

Olive-Taylor says she will miss her colleagues and Elon students and hopes to reinvent herself in creative ways in her retirement.

Paul Parsons, professor of journalism

Parsons retired from Elon in May 2020 after coming to Elon in 2001 as the founding dean of the School of Communications. He served as dean until 2018, concluding his career as a professor of journalism.

Parsons says he was thrilled to receive the invitation to come to Elon in 2001 because it felt like a perfect fit from the moment he stepped on campus.

On what he’ll remember most about his time at Elon, Parsons said, ”My 19 years at Elon began and ended in national traumas. Just a few weeks after coming to Elon, 9/11 happened, and I saw how faculty and staff supported our students and each other in this time of crisis. Then in my final weeks at Elon, the pandemic required us to suddenly convert to online classes, and again the university rose to the occasion. Between these trauma bookmarks, Elon has been on an astonishing upward trajectory, and the success of our students has been a delight to watch.”

In retirement, Parsons says he would love to travel and looks forward to doing that once again after the pandemic subsides. He also plans to remain active in the national accreditation process in communications.

Jean Schwind, professor of English and chair of the Department of English

Schwind retired from Elon as professor of English and chair of the Department of English in July 2020. Schwind joined the Elon faculty in 1990 and since then had served as an assistant, associate and full professor in the Department of English.

Schwind also served as chair of three standing committees of the faculty, including Academic Council, the UCC and General Studies Council (now the Core Curriculum Committee). She was the principal investigator and director of two NEH grant projects in the 1990s that helped launch the Core capstone seminars. These projects involved more than 50 faculty members and focused on interdisciplinary curriculum development. Schwind was also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Planning Committee and served as the first vice president once Elon’s chapter was established in 2010.

On what she will miss most about working at Elon, Schwind said, “I’m passionate about reading for the access it gives to the ideas and experiences of others and about writing for the way it enables self-understanding. I will deeply miss sharing these passions with students. When I read great books like Colson Whitehead’s “The Nickel Boys” or Louise Erdrich’s “The Night Watchman,” my first reaction is: ‘I can’t wait to teach this!’”

In retirement, Schwind will continue working on a book about high school in American fiction and film. She is also excited to spend more time with her father and siblings in Minnesota.

Nagatha Tonkins, director of internships and assistant professor of journalism

Tonkins retired in January 2020 after coming to Elon to lead an internship program in the School of Communications in 2008. Tonkins says she was impressed with the staff, faculty and students at Elon and was eager to be a part of the community.

Tonkins, who first served as director of internships and external relations and later became director of internships and alumni relations for the School of Communications, says Elon offered wonderful professional opportunities. “The opportunity to grow, learn and teach at Elon was exhilarating.”

As she retires from Elon, Tonkins says, “I will miss my amazing colleagues, Don Grady’s wit and insight, the Elon family, alumni and students.  I’ll also miss College Coffee, Numen Lumen and the enthusiasm for �þ��� and learning. It’s been an amazing journey filled with many good memories, but the highlight of my Elon  career will always be those lightbulb moments when students realized that an internship was attainable and the excitement when they actually received an offer.”

Her future plans include traveling and finding “the world’s most beautiful island,” taking Elon courses and using her communications skills to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Debby Wall, director of internships

Wall retired in December 2019 after joining the Elon staff in April 1986. In search of a career change after working many years in the textile industry, Wall responded to an ad in the local newspaper for a secretarial position in Elon’s Career Service office, which is now called the Student Professional Development Center. Wall was later promoted to student employment assistant, and assistant director for employer relations and experiential education, before retiring as director of internships.

Wall says she will miss career advising, reading students’ internship papers and hearing about their work challenges and successes. She says it was a pleasure to be part of a team of colleagues who championed students throughout their college careers and beyond.

“Elon is very dear to me,” Wall said. “I met my future husband on my first day of work, and we got married at Elon. I have made life-long friendships with employees, coworkers and alumni, and I’ve brought all of these relationships with me into retirement.”

In retirement, Wall is spending more time with her husband, family and friends, and reading lots of books.

Nancy Ward, administrator of Colleague for financial aid

Nancy Ward retired from Elon in December 2019 after joining the staff on Oct. 2, 1991. Ward applied at Elon after running a home daycare for the children of school teachers. She began her Elon career in a nine-month position in the Office of Admissions records room and transitioned to a full-time split position between Admissions and Financial Aid before transitioning to a full-time role in Financial Aid.

On some of her favorite Elon memories, Ward said, “Elon is known for its caring community and that is what I value the most. I am thankful for trips to both London and Costa Rica, which were made possible through Elon.”

In retirement, Ward is looking forward to spending more time with family, visiting relatives across the country, working on projects around the house, traveling and having a more flexible schedule.

Janet Warman, professor of English and education

Warman has officially retired from Elon after joining the university as the secondary English teacher licensure coordinator in the Department of English in 1990. Warman came to Elon excited about the opportunity to teach at an institution where faculty worked closely with students, and she says she felt an instant connection with the university.

Since coming to Elon 30 years ago, Warman served in a number of positions including professor of English and education, associate director and director of the Teaching Fellows Program, director of general studies, and associate chair of the Department of English. Warman also received the Daniels-Danieley Award for Excellence in Teaching and served as President of the North Carolina English Teachers’ Association.

Her favorite Elon memories include spending semesters in London and Florence, Italy, with Elon students. She says she will most miss “seeing students transformed by texts and experiences and working with colleagues from across the campus.”

In retirement, Warman plans to write and publish poetry, read piles of books, and travel nationally and internationally.
Also retiring this year are:

Brenda Hudson, human resources benefits specialist

Bobby Slade, floor maintenance technician

James Stovall, manager of building maintenance

Brenda Summers, custodian

Kathryn Whitt, faculty mail clerk

Also retiring is Amanda Johnson, coordinator of the workers’ compensation program.

Hall’s supervisor, Heather Hutchings, spoke kindly of her coworker, “DonnaLynn is incredibly dedicated to her work and supportive of her teammates and campus partners. She eagerly takes on new challenges while continuing to provide excellent support for her ongoing projects.”

When asked what makes Hall such a valuable team member, Hutchings answered, “DonnaLynn is self-motivated to deliver solutions that make others more efficient. She looks for opportunities to help campus partners streamline their work through automation and focuses on developing solutions to reduce manual tasks.”

Hall earned her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification in March, which provides a great foundation for successful projects across Information Technology (IT). In addition to Admissions and Financial Planning, Hall is also an essential team member in Application Technologies within IT where she frequently contributes to projects.

When reflecting on the ways Hall has helped the the IT department, Hutchings explains, “DonnaLynn represents Administrative Computing on the Change Advisory Board and leads change management for our team.” Hutchings continues, “DonnaLynn volunteers her talents to help others on campus.  She mentors students through the First-Year Engagement Program and co-leads the Caregiver ERG providing resources and fellowship for faculty and staff in caregiving roles.”

Her impact reaches beyond Elon, too. She is actively involved in the Ellucian community as the co-chair of the Financial Aid Regulatory Client Advisory Team. This service allows her to network with other Colleague schools and share the good work happening at Elon.

The Acorn Accolade is awarded each month to an exceptional member of Elon’s Instructional and �þ��� Technologies team. The individual must be nominated by his or her department head to the Assistant Vice President of Technology.

Brothers of Beta Theta Pi are proud to follow our five values of Mutual Assistance, Responsible Conduct, Integrity, Trust and Intellectual Growth and wish to recognize other Men of Principle who choose to follow these values in their daily interactions and wish to recognize one student with a one-time $1,000 scholarship.

Applications are now due by 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 20, 2017.

Potential candidates can apply at .  Applying for this scholarship is not the same as applying to rush and receiving or not receiving the scholarship does not qualify as a bid or lack of a bid from the fraternity.  Application to the scholarship and receiving the scholarship do not obligate a student to rush Beta Theta Pi.

Please direct any questions to Beta Theta Pi President Dan Ford at dford9@elon.edu.

Elon Trustee Edward Doherty and his wife, Joan, parents of a 2007 Elon alumna and generous supporters of the university, have made a leadership gift to endow eight scholarships. The Edward W. and Joan K. Doherty Odyssey Scholarships will be awarded to two students in each entering class beginning in the fall of 2017.

The Odyssey Scholars Program, part of the Center for Access and Success, is a highly selective program supporting academically talented and engaged students with significant financial need who will benefit from an Elon education. Elon Odyssey Scholars are frequently the first members of their family to attend college and have achieved success despite hardship or challenge.

“Through this gift, Ed and Joan Doherty will make college dreams a reality,” said President Leo M. Lambert. “These generous Elon parents want to transform the lives of young men and women who are ready to make an impact in our world. The Dohertys are demonstrating the power of philanthropy and we are deeply grateful for their partnership.”

Ed Doherty, has been a member of Elon’s Board of Trustees since 2006. He and Joan previously began service to Elon as members of the Elon Parents Council when their daughter, Kerry, was a student.

The Dohertys grew up in New York – Ed on Long Island and Joan in Queens – and both were among the first members of their families to attend college. “Giving a family a chance for their child to attend a college like Elon is a very special opportunity,” Joan Doherty said. “We want those students to be able to follow their dreams.”

“Education creates opportunity,” Ed Doherty said. “We’re a country of immigrants, and every generation wants the next generation to achieve greater success. We feel it is important to give back, and there’s no place better than Elon to create the right experiences for these first-generation college students.”

Odyssey Scholars bring cultural and socioeconomic diversity to Elon, and first preference in selection of recipients of the Doherty Scholarships will be given to racially or ethnically diverse students. Currently, Elon has a total of 100 Odyssey Scholars. “We imagine a day when we have 100 per class,” Lambert said.

Throughout the four-year program, Odyssey Scholars take advantage of intellectually demanding courses while furthering their personal and professional development. The Scholars participate in a first-year summer orientation, have annual retreats, attend monthly meetings with their peers, are involved in one-on-one academic and career planning meetings, and maintain an academic and leadership portfolio. In addition to annual tuition assistance, the program includes a stipend for books and supplies, and a one-time, $4,000 global study grant to be used for an approved study abroad or Study USA program.  

The Doherty Scholarships are the latest in a series of gifts the couple has made to Elon. The Dohertys previously established the Doherty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business and endowed the Doherty Emerging Professor of Entrepreneurship. This new gift provides additional support for operations of the Doherty Center. The center focuses on experiential education that encourages creative and critical thinking. �þ��� learn how to recognize opportunity, formulate plans and implement their ideas. Throughout the year, the center sponsors entrepreneurship-themed co-curricular activities open to all majors.

In addition, the Dohertys provide generous gifts to host the annual “Evening for Elon” event in New York City for alumni, parents and friends of the university. Their new commitment to Elon provides funding to support that event for four years and also provides a gift in support of the Phoenix Club for Elon athletics.

The Dohertys have been regular contributors to Elon’s annual fund and have supported other scholarships and building projects. In recognition of their support of Elon, Ed and Joan Doherty were awarded honorary doctorate degrees in 2014.

Ed Doherty is founder and chief executive officer of Doherty Enterprises, Inc., one of the nation’s leading franchisee operators of quality family restaurants, including Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, Panera Bread and Chevys Fresh Mex. The company currently operates more than 145 restaurants, pubs and bakery cafes.

Ed and Joan Doherty are committed to giving back to the communities where they do business and to causes to which they are committed. Doherty Enterprises and its people annually participate in more than 1,500 community activities, donate more than 2,000 hours of volunteer service and donate or help raise more than $2 million in financial contributions to local charities and causes. In 2007 Ed and Joan formed WOW A Friend Foundation with the mission of providing emergency funds to Doherty Enterprises’ associates and their immediate families when burdened by an event outside their control and who are in need of financial assistance.

The Resource Center inside the Office of Financial Planning in the Inman Admissions Welcome Center consists of a bank of computers that students can utilize during normal business hours. Financial Planning staff and trained student workers can lend assistance in a moment’s notice.

Patrick Murphy, director of the Office of Financial Planning, said the space offers students a place to research financial aid options with assistance from financial aid experts just steps away.

The dedicated space was conceived four years ago as blueprints were drafted for the Inman Admissions Welcome Center, which opened in January 2015.

“I have always wanted a place in the office where we could sit down with students at computers to help them complete or fix issues with their FAFSA, or assist with searching for numerous outside scholarship opportunities,” Murphy said. “The construction of the Inman Admissions Welcome Center allowed us to create a space where we have the capability for a staff member to assist multiple students at a time.”

A resource center in the Office of Financial Planning also was a recommendation put forward this fall in a formal report by the �þ��� Presidential Task Force on Black Student, Faculty and Staff Experiences. The report called for a center that would provide scholarship information for underrepresented students.

The Resource Center is open to all students from 8 a.m. through noon, or from 2-5 p.m., when the Office of Financial Planning is fully staffed.

In its , Kiplinger’s ranks Elon #18 in total cost, and #35 in overall best value. The ranking is the ninth consecutive top-50 best value recognition of Elon by Kiplinger’s.

Kiplinger’s says Elon and the other top-value schools provide “a quality education at an affordable price.” Elon’s total cost is $10,000-$20,000 lower than most of the other top-35 private universities ranked by Kiplinger’s. Among the 100 best-value private universities, Elon is one of only 18 schools with a total annual cost of less than $43,000.

“We salute this year’s top schools,” says Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. “Balancing top-quality education with affordable cost is a challenge for families in today’s economy, which is why Kiplinger’s rankings are such a valuable resource. The schools on the 2015 list offer students the best of both worlds.”

Elon is one of only six private universities in the Southeast/MidSouth region recognized by Kiplinger’s. Elon, Duke University and Wake Forest University are the only schools in the Carolinas and Virginia included in the private universities category.

Kiplinger’s assesses quality according to measurable standards, including the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and the four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include sticker prices, financial aid and average debt at graduation.

With a four-year graduation rate of 77 percent, Elon ranks #34 among the top 100 private universities. 

The top 35 schools in this year’s Kiplinger’s ranking of best-value private universities include the following:

1. Princeton University
2. Yale University
3. Harvard University
4. Rice University
5. Duke University
6. Vanderbilt University
7. California Institute of Technology
8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
9. Stanford University
10. Dartmouth College
11. University of Pennsylvania
12. Cornell University
13. Brown University
14. Emory University
15. University of Chicago
16. Georgetown University
17. Johns Hopkins University
18. University of Notre Dame
19. Washington University in St. Louis
20. Northwestern University
21. Tufts University
22. Boston College
23. Brigham Young University
24. Clark University
25. Lehigh University
26. Wake Forest University
27. University of Southern California
28. University of Rochester
29. Yeshiva University
30. Stevens Institute of Technology
31. Villanova University
32. Bentley University
33. Brandeis University
34. Drake University
35. �þ���

Crews placed the 35-foot-tall cupola custom made by Wilson Composites on the building over the course of three days. It consists of a 3,000-pound base, a 2,700-pound midsection and a dome that weighs less than 500 pounds. It will be capped with a lightning rod.

This is the latest step forward for a project that is due to be completed this winter. Named for trustee William J. Inman and his wife, Patricia “Pat” Inman, the two-story, 32,000-square-foot building will complete a landscaped quadrangle formed by the admissions center, Moseley Center, Belk Library and North O’Kelly Avenue. It will house under one roof admissions staff, financial planning staff and welcome center staff, with a two-story lobby and atrium, conference rooms, two presentation theaters and office suites.

“The Inman Admissions Welcome Center will be the front door to �þ���, a place where high school students will begin their path to becoming proud Elon alumni,” said Greg Zaiser, the university’s vice president of admissions and financial planning, during the project’s 2013 groundbreaking ceremony.

The Inmans have been longtime supporters of Elon. The experiences of their daughter, Jacklyn Inman ‘00, inspired their continued involvement at the university. In addition to annual contributions for the university’s greatest needs and the Phoenix Club, the Inmans have supported construction of Rhodes Stadium, the Koury Business Center, the Numen Lumen Pavilion and Lindner Hall.

The atrium in the Koury Business Center is named in their honor, as is the Inman Reading Room on the first floor of Lindner Hall in the Academic Village.

Beginning in fall 2015, one student will be selected to receive an annual scholarship of $22,500 to be applied toward the cost of tuition, fees, room and board. The award is renewable for up to three years, when the scholarship will be awarded to the next recipient.

Each scholarship recipient will be chosen based on outstanding character, academic promise and talent valued by the Elon community, with preference given to Alamance County residents. No separate scholarship application is required, and every admissible student from Alamance Community College with at least 24 transferrable credit hours will be considered for the award.

“This award is Elon’s first transfer merit scholarship and reflects the university’s commitment to Alamance County,” said Greg Zaiser, vice president for admissions and financial planning. “Alamance Community College sends transfer students to �þ��� annually and we are pleased to provide financial resources to encourage more students to consider completing their higher education at Elon.”

The scholarship selection committee will include members of Elon’s Office of Admissions and Financial Planning. Recipients will be announced in the spring semester prior to fall enrollment. To remain eligible for continued support, scholarship recipients must maintain a 2.7 cumulative grade point average and be continuously enrolled full-time at �þ���, maintaining 28 credit hours per year or more.

For full details of the scholarship to support Alamance Community College transfer students to �þ���, contact Elon’s Office of Admissions and Financial Planning.