Coca-Cola will donate a portion of proceeds from select machines designated with a UA logo to scholarships.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Simply buying a Coke from a designated vending machine will help provide scholarships for University of Alabama students under a new partnership between the UA National Alumni Association and the Tuscaloosa Coca-Cola Bottling Company.

The Tuscaloosa Coca-Cola Bottling Company will donate a portion of the proceeds from sales at select machines in the Tuscaloosa area to scholarships for UA students under the agreement.

The venture is the first of its kind for Tuscaloosa Coca-Cola, according to Bill Harris, sales center manager for Tuscaloosa Coca-Cola.

“We are excited to have this opportunity to help generate scholarship dollars for students in the Tuscaloosa area,” Harris said.

Pat Whetstone, UA interim vice president for university advancement and director of alumni affairs, said the partnership is an important step for the National Alumni Association and the University.

“Providing funds for scholarships is a top priority for the Alumni Association. We are thrilled with this innovative agreement that will benefit our students,” Whetstone said.

Under the agreement, Tuscaloosa Coca-Cola will donate 25 percent of net profits from the selected vending machines to the National Alumni Association’s scholarship fund. The project will begin with vending machines in the Tuscaloosa area, and funds raised will benefit students from the local area. If successful in Tuscaloosa, the program is expected to be expanded to other areas of the state.

Once selected, participating machines will be designated with a UA logo and a statement noting that a portion of the proceeds from the machine will benefit scholarships sponsored by the National Alumni Association for The University of Alabama.

The UA National Alumni Association annually awards more than $2 million in scholarship assistance to about 900 students, and is among the top alumni associations nationally in providing scholarship funds.