With Governor Roy Cooper’s announcement of his intention to sign the budget passed by the North Carolina General Assembly when it reaches his desk, Fayetteville State University (FSU) will receive nearly $152 million in new capital construction projects and repairs and renovations and will be the only University to be added to the NC Promise Program – the state’s affordable tuition program.
NC Promise will help grow FSU’s enrollment and strengthen its retention rate, while also making the cost of tuition more affordable for in-state students who only pay $500 per semester (a total of $1,000 per year). The $11.5 million recurring state appropriation is a part of the state’s commitment to strengthen FSU’s footprint in the Sandhills region and state. In total, FSU will receive over $164 million when the state passes the budget and the governor officially signs later this week, as promised.
Though it’s been just a little more than 8 months since Darrell T. Allison took the role as FSU’s 12th chancellor, securing much-needed resources for the second oldest public institution in North Carolina has been his number one priority.
“Today, I am both overjoyed and humbled for FSU. This support that we will be receiving has been a long time coming. For the first time in over 35 years the North Carolina state budget puts Fayetteville State University in a position to make a quantum leap in educating our future leaders. This unprecedented support will assure our success for generations to come,” said Chancellor Allison.
“Historic moments don’t happen without strong leadership. Our UNC System truly has one in our seventh president in Peter Hans. I want to especially thank our leaders Senate President Phil Berger, Speaker Tim Moore and Governor Cooper. For the sake of compromise and seeking to find common ground, each were willing to selflessly work for the greater good – for the teachers and state employees who will be receiving significant raises and bonuses and our students, I sincerely thank them for their leadership.
Lastly, I cannot say enough about our local state delegation and their tireless commitment to Fayetteville, Cumberland County, and the Sandhills region. They worked together and demonstrated true solidarity. We certainly owe them all a special thanks. Today, our gratitude goes out to Rep. Marvin Lucas (FSU Alum), Rep. Diane Wheatley, Rep. Billy Richardson, Rep. John Szoka, Sen. Kirk deViere (former FSU Trustee) and Sen. Ben Clark – for their strong leadership,” added Chancellor Allison.
The University’s allocation includes:
| Capital projects | |
| New College of Education | $63,000,000 |
| New Residential Hall | $40,000,000 |
| New Parking Deck | $10,000,000 |
| (sub-total) | $113,000,000 |
| Repair & Renovations | $38,850,000 |
| NC Promise | $11,500,000 |
| NC Policy Collaboratory/COVID-19 | $670,000 |
| (total) | $164,020,000 |
In addition to the state appropriations, FSU, along with the other state employees will receive a 5% salary increase over the next two years and a one-time bonus.