SWU News:

August 14, 2006

BB&T charitable foundation makes $40,000 gift

Thanks to a donation, one Southern Wesleyan University student will receive a $2,000 scholarship.

A $40,000 gift from the BB&T Charitable Foundation to South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities will provide higher education scholarships to deserving South Carolina students. 

"Education has always been a focal point of our commitment to corporate giving," said Mike Brenan, President of BB&T of South Carolina, "We're proud to contribute to an organization like the SCICU that continues to make a difference in the lives of so many students in the Palmetto State and therefore make this a better place to live.”

"South Carolina's independent colleges and universities are extremely grateful to receive such a generous gift to provide scholarships to needy and talented students," said Charles FitzSimons, President of SCICU. The $40,000 gift will provide a $2,000 scholarship in the name of BB&T to one student at each of SCICU's 20 member schools for the 2006-07 academic year. 

The BB&T Foundation is the charitable giving arm of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based BB&T Corporation (NYSE: BBT).

About BB&T: BB&T Corporation and its subsidiaries offer full-service commercial and retail banking and additional financial services such as insurance, investments, retail brokerage, corporate finance, consumer finance, payment services, international banking, leasing and trust. BB&T operates more than 1,400 financial centers in the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Indiana and Washington, D.C. With $116.3 billion in assets, BB&T Corp. is the nation's ninth largest financial holding company. More information about BB&T Corp. is available at www.BBT.com.

About SCICU: South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Inc. (SCICU) was established in 1953 with the primary mission of promoting independent higher education in South Carolina .  SCICU seeks to advance independent higher education through fundraising, scholarships, research, and by facilitating collaborative activities among the twenty member institutions. The member institutions of SCICU educate nearly 33,000 students each year and reflect important values and missions that are an integral part of American life. SCICU is a 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt, non-profit corporation. For additional information, please contact Wayne Landrith , SCICU Executive Vice President at (803) 799-7122, or visit our website at www.scicu.org.