Fayetteville State joins NC Promise program and gets major funding in state budget
Students will be paying less for tuition at Fayetteville State University starting in Fall 2022 as the school joins the NC Promise program.
The historically Black university was added to the program with $11.5 million of recurring funding in the state budget that was signed into law Thursday. The university will also receive an unexpected $152 million for campus construction projects in the budget.
The NC Promise program sets tuition at $1,000 a year for in-state undergraduates and $5,000 a year for out-of-state students.
“This is transformational, legacy-building for students to have a pathway to attend a UNC System school such as Fayetteville State University,” Chancellor Darrell Allison said after hearing the news Wednesday.
The university expects this program to boost FSU’s enrollment and retention rate, while also making it more affordable for students.
About 60% of FSU students would not be there without financial assistance and 60% are first generation college students navigating the experience on their own.
Allison said finances are “a real inhibitor for the college experience” and also the top reason that students may stop attending.
For prospective students, NC Promise is a “game-changer,” he said.
Other NC Promise schools
Elizabeth City State University, UNC Pembroke and Western Carolina University have been part of the program since 2018 and each saw record enrollment growth of first-year and transfer students.
FSU was included in the original legislative plan but was dropped, along with Winston-Salem State University, after public protests about how the program would affect the “economic viability” of the HBCUs, The News & Observer previously reported.
The program aims to reduce financial and geographical barriers, but students still have to pay expenses such as fees, books, housing and meal plans.
Investment in campus infrastructure
In addition to the funding for the NC Promise program, FSU received more than $150 million for new construction projects and repairs and renovations of campus buildings.
Allison, who was appointed FSU chancellor earlier this year, was critical in securing those financial resources for the HBCU, according to UNC System leaders.
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UNC System Board Chair Randy Ramsey said Allison is ”well-regarded with people in the legislature who trust him” and is working to improve campus operations.
When searching for a new chancellor, UNC System President Peter Hans said the common theme they heard was “historic underinvestment” in FSU. That was a major factor in the board’s selection of Allison and “the results are already showing,” Hans said.
Allison is a former member of the UNC System Board of Governors and said that while serving in that role, it became clear to him that the university was under-resourced. So, he made it a priority when he became chancellor.
In a statement, Allison said this financial support “has been a long time coming.”
The money from this budget allows the school to pay for nearly half of the $80 million needed for repair and renovations. The university also plans to build a new College of Education, residence hall and parking deck.
Those projects are particularly important to Fayetteville State, which is the second oldest university in the system and has the highest number of adult learners, Allison said. About 50% of students are at least 24 years old and 84% of students are commuters.
In total, Fayetteville State received more than $164 million when the state legislature and governor approved the budget.
This story was originally published November 19, 2021 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Fayetteville State joins NC Promise program and gets major funding in state budget."
