NCCU Awarded $2 million from Thurgood Marshall College Fund

Posted November 12, 2025, 4:06PM

North Carolina Central University (NCCU) was selected by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) as one of eight member institutions to receive $2 million each as part of the Project HBCU Capacity Building: Maximizing HBCU Institutional Performance through Investments in Research, Operations, and Innovation initiative, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc.

The multi-year initiative represents a $25 million investment to strengthen historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) through strategic enhancements in research, operations and innovation.

NCCU’s winning proposal is for a One-Stop Student Success Center, which will bring student success resources currently physically and operationally dispersed across the campus into a shared space. NCCU’s students will benefit from improved access to and enhanced coordination among these resources.

The other selected institutions are Alabama State University, Delaware State University, Fayetteville State University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Southern University and A&M College, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff and Virginia State University.

Dr. Ontario S. Wooden, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at NCCU, said, “This grant marks a transformative step in our commitment to student success. The establishment of a One-Stop Student Success Center will enhance the student experience by integrating essential services, improving access to support and directly strengthening our retention and graduation outcomes."