Fayetteville State University to Receive $1 Million Grant to Improve Student Success

Fayetteville State University (FSU) in North Carolina will receive a $1 million grant from the National Institute for Student Success (NISS) to increase student enrollment, retention, and graduation.

NISS is an organization launched by the University System of Georgia in 2021 to help colleges and universities across the design, implement, and scale student support systems. The NISS diagnostic process identified four ways for FSU to identify and address barriers hindering student success, especially for first- and second-year students:

  • Establish programs and processes that connect curriculum and career pathways;
  • Identify courses with "high non-pass rates," assess course/program effectiveness, and establish student supports where needed;
  • Assess student communication and use chatbots to get timely, accurate, and personal information to students; and
  • Create standard advisory systems across campus to support students consistently.

FSU will use the NISS grant to establish three positions to assist students from college enrollment to completion. It will also fund paid internships and supplemental instructors in core courses. Alumni will also be invited to discuss how they have used their degrees.

For more information, read FSU's full press release.

About the Author

Kate Lucariello is a former newspaper editor, EAST Lab high school teacher and college English teacher.

Featured

  • Blue digital wireframe classical building structure

    Before AI, Fix Your Data

    Institutions don't have to solve every data problem before they can begin using AI responsibly. But they do need to treat information as a strategic asset — not a byproduct of operations — and start building toward AI-ready data now.

  • Neon email icon hangs from chain with fishing hook below.

    Phishing Report Emphasizes Importance of Building a Security Culture

    While cybersecurity teams have invested heavily in e-mail protection, endpoint security, and identity controls, new research from Fortra suggests one challenge remains difficult to solve: users.

  • glowing circuit patterns

    Call for Speakers Now Open for Tech Tactics in Education Fall 2026

    The virtual conference from the producers of Campus Technology and THE Journal will return on Sept. 23, 2026, with a focus on emerging trends in with a focus on emerging trends in AI, cybersecurity, and more.

  • digital brain integrating legal regulation and security interface

    Agentic AI Moves from Pilot Phase to Production, Bringing Governance to the Forefront

    New research from Caylent, an AI-focused Amazon Web Services Premier Tier Services Partner, found that enterprises are already moving agentic AI beyond pilots and into production environments. At the same time, organizations are putting strict conditions around autonomy, making governance and control the next major challenge for enterprise AI adoption.