For the third year in a row, North Carolina’s Promise initiative is facing a multimillion-dollar deficit amid significant enrollment gains across its four member institutions.
Under the program, in-state students at four UNC System schools pay only $500 per semester for tuition and out-of-state students $2,500.
Since launching in 2018, the initiative has led to a 3% jump in enrollment at UNC Pembroke, 11% at Western Carolina University, and a staggering 62% at Elizabeth City State. Fayetteville State University, which became a Promise school in 2022, has seen a 28% increase in enrollment…