At UNC-Chapel Hill and beyond, alumni of the North Carolina Governor’s School are rallying to raise awareness of and funds for the enrichment program, which may not have a Class of 2012.

The state legislature cut all funding for 2012 for the program that alumni have called “life-changing,” “sublime” and “affirming,” among other things.

“If we don’t have it next year, it’ll be hard to start from scratch,” said Roice Fulton, vice president and acting president of the N.C. Governor’s School Foundation.

The N.C. Board of Education-commissioned task force determined that the N.C. Governor’s Foundation needed to raise $550,000 to hold the summer program in 2012. The $550,000 would sponsor one campus of 300 students, who would pay $500 each for tuition.

The foundation, not wanting tuition to prevent gifted students from participating, responded by setting a loftier goal of $1 million, and program alumni at UNC are aiming to raise $25,000 by Nov. 1.

“It’s a big endeavor, but it’s something that’s attainable,” Fulton said.

The campaign has already received more than $235,000 in donations.

Freshman Chris Hendel and junior Tom Bodo had been working separately on campus to raise awareness and funds for the high school program, but the pair joined forces and connected with other UNC students at a “Save Governor’s School Interest Meeting” on Sept. 14. A group of about 30 students met in Bingham Hall to name their organization and come up with fundraising and networking strategies.

In addition to setting up modern networking means with a Twitter account and an alumni listserv, the group discussed how to utilize the talents that earned their acceptance into the program during high school. The students talked about selling print T-shirts with original designs, performing in the Pit and hosting a talent show and a water balloon fight as ways to raise money.

“We can find out where people’s individual talents are and use them,” Bodo said.

Hendel is working on having the UNC Governor’s School Initiative Club become university-endorsed. Fulton said he expects UNC to set the bar for alumni at Duke and N.C. State.

“Whatever you guys do, it’ll spread statewide,” Fulton said to the crowd.

In past years, the six-week program has hosted 800 students on campus at Meredith College in Raleigh and at Salem College in Winston-Salem. The program took a hit in 2010 when only 600 students could attend, with the cost of tuition $500 per student. The cost falls onto the public high school systems, and if the school can’t find alternative funding, it’s charged to the participating students’ parents.

Mary Watson, director of the exceptional children division in the state Department of Public Instruction, said charging tuition–or worse, losing the program–hurts gifted high school students in rural areas who have no other additional enrichment opportunities.

“Before, students had to evaluate whether their family can afford to not have them work in the summer,” Watson said. “Now, we lose those who don’t have $500 and need to work in the summer.”

Since the tuition was put in place, some students who were called for auditions said they wouldn’t make it because they couldn’t come up with $500, she said.

“It would be one of the last programs I would cut,” Watson said. “It’s an investment in our best and brightest.”

The state appropriated $850,000 for last year’s program, the equivalent of 16 classroom teacher salaries and benefits, said a staff member in the General Assembly’s fiscal research division. It’s the only program funded though the public school system that doesn’t serve the system throughout the school year. The General Assembly hands out funds depending on whether they think it rises to the level of other programs competing for scarce resources, the staff member said.

David Winslow went to Governor’s School in 1970 for violin, back when there was only one campus.

“It gave me direction and I’m forever grateful,” Winslow said.

His fundraising consulting group, The Winslow Group, has been working with the foundation and Winslow has personally given money.

“It’s really important that the alums of Governor’s School come together and help to save it,” he said. “There’s probably no greater concentration of alums than here at UNC-Chapel Hill.”

If enough funds are raised for 2012, it would be the state’s fiftieth session of Governor’s School. North Carolina’s program has been a model for 28 other states who have started Governor’s Schools.

Follow UNC’s efforts to save Governor’s School in 2012 by following them on Twitter at @UNC GovSchool, and watch the Foundation’s donation count at ncgsfoundation.org.

For past coverage on the North Carolina Governor’s School, click here.