North Carolina just made one of the largest state investments in Winston-Salem State University history — and the impact will be felt across the campus, the classroom, and the healthcare workforce for years to come.
The 2026 North Carolina State Budget allocates nearly $45 million to Winston-Salem State University, funding a sweeping set of priorities that include capital improvements, scholarship expansion, nursing workforce development, and employee compensation increases. The Winston-Salem State University state budget investment covers multiple areas simultaneously. Moreover, it reflects a growing recognition of WSSU’s role as one of North Carolina’s most important engines of student success and economic opportunity.
Nearly $40 Million for Campus Modernization
The largest portion of the investment — nearly $40 million over two fiscal years — goes directly toward capital improvements on campus.
The centerpiece of that spending is the long-awaited completion of K.R. Williams Auditorium. The budget releases the remaining $14.65 million needed to finish the renovation and modernization of the facility. Furthermore, continued funding supports renovations to both Eller Hall and Pegram Hall. Together, these projects will modernize key academic and cultural spaces that serve thousands of WSSU students each year.
For a campus committed to the motto “Enter to Learn. Depart to Serve,” investing in the physical environment where that learning happens matters deeply. Additionally, upgraded facilities send a clear message to prospective students and faculty: Winston-Salem State is building for the future.
Cheatham-White Scholarship Program Gets a Major Expansion
Beyond the capital investments, the budget also significantly expands one of WSSU’s most prestigious academic programs.
Starting in the 2027-2028 academic year, the Cheatham-White Scholarship Program will grow to award up to 50 merit-based scholarships annually. As a result, WSSU becomes one of only three historically Black universities in North Carolina authorized to award scholarships at that scale. That distinction carries real recruiting power. Moreover, it reinforces WSSU’s commitment to making high-quality education accessible to the state’s top students.
The Cheatham-White program has long been a cornerstone of WSSU’s academic identity. Therefore, its expansion represents not just more funding — it represents a deeper investment in the kind of merit-based excellence that defines the university’s “We Are Rising” strategic plan.
WSSU Joins Statewide Nursing Workforce Initiative
North Carolina is facing a significant healthcare workforce shortage — and WSSU will now play a direct role in solving it.
The budget establishes WSSU as a key partner in the new Nursing Fellows Forgivable Education Loan Pilot Program, a statewide initiative designed to address the state’s nursing shortage by making education more financially accessible for students entering the profession. Under the program, nursing students who commit to working in North Carolina after graduation can receive forgivable education loans — reducing the financial burden of entering healthcare while simultaneously filling critical workforce gaps across the state.
For WSSU, participation in this program is a natural fit. The university has built a strong reputation in health sciences education, and its location in the Piedmont Triad places it at the center of a region with significant healthcare workforce needs. As a result, WSSU graduates will directly serve the communities that surround them.
Employees Also See Meaningful Gains
The investment in WSSU’s workforce extends beyond students. The budget includes a 3% salary increase for eligible SHRA and EHRA employees, one-time bonuses, and additional compensation for sworn law enforcement officers on campus.
Those increases matter. Consequently, they help WSSU retain the faculty and staff who make the university’s mission possible. Chancellor Bonita J. Brown addressed the significance of that piece directly.
“This budget represents more than an investment in Winston-Salem State University; it is an investment in North Carolina’s future,” Brown said. “These strategic investments expand opportunity for our students, strengthen our ability to prepare the workforce our state needs, support the outstanding employees who make our mission possible and position WSSU to build on the momentum of our ‘We Are Rising’ strategic plan.”
What This Means for HBCU Funding in North Carolina
Investments of this scale in an HBCU are still rare enough to be worth noting explicitly. WSSU is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina System and home to nearly 5,000 students. Furthermore, it holds the Carnegie/American Council on Education Opportunity College designation — the only university in North Carolina to do so — recognizing its outsized impact on student access and social mobility.
The nearly $45 million investment signals that state leaders understand what WSSU represents: not just a university, but a proven engine of opportunity for students who might not otherwise access higher education at all.
Brown reflected on the milestone with characteristic clarity. “At WSSU, we believe higher education should transform lives while strengthening communities,” she said. “This investment allows us to accelerate that work and deepen our impact across North Carolina.”
