North Carolina’s Fayetteville State University has landed a whopping donation set to support its students further.
WTVD-11 reports that the HBCU received an anonymous donation of $750,000. The donation will aid Fayetteville State University’s free summer school called 30/60/90. The outlet details that the summer school program works to assist students with decreasing their student debt. What’s more, it focuses on students earning their degrees early.
According to the summer school program’s website, the scholarship covers two courses or up to seven credit hours for undergraduate students, one course or up to three credit hours for graduate and doctoral students in the College of Education, book rental fees, other fees, and on-campus housing and meals.
“The financial aid, they help me,” Deborah Cathcart, a rising sophomore student at Fayetteville State University, said per WTVD-11.
She continued, “It helps me so much…this school, they introduce such an easy and just a practical way of having free credits.”
Another student added, “I got a boost in my career and everything. I got used to on-campus life.”
The outlet reports that following the launch of the summer school program, it has reached record enrollment of 66% (4,463 students) of the university’s total student population in 2024. In 2023, there were 4,100 students enrolled.
“Over 70 percent of our students need some level of financial aid and assistance,” Chancellor Darrell Allison told WTVD-11. “And for 60 percent of our students, they’re first generation. So those are challenges. But they can be overcome. And that’s why I think this is critically important…”
Prior to the anonymous donation, Fayetteville State University shared an additional announcement in early June 2024. The HBCU became one of six hubs selected by the U.S. Economic Development Administration and North Carolina Central University to launch a free biotechnology program, according to the outlet. The program’s mission is to provide students with free access to high salary jobs in the bio-pharmaceuticals field. Anyone can participate in the program as long as they are age 18 or older and have a high school diploma or GED.
