Forsyth Tech News
What North Carolina’s New Budget Means for Forsyth Tech Students
Propel NC explained
North Carolina is changing how it funds community college programs.
Here is what the state’s new budget could mean for your classes, your career and your future at Forsyth Tech.
North Carolina just passed a new state budget. It includes $57.5 million for something called Propel NC. You may have never heard of it. That is okay. Let’s break down what it is and why it matters.
First, one important thing: Propel NC is not a scholarship. It will not give students money to spend. It changes how North Carolina pays community colleges for the classes they offer.
How community colleges used to get funded
In the past, the state paid colleges mostly by counting students. When more students signed up for a class, the college received more money.
Some classes received more state funding than others. But those old rules did not always match the jobs available today.
For example, a two-year nursing program could receive more funding than a shorter nursing course, even when both helped prepare people for important health care jobs.
What Propel NC changes
Propel NC connects community college funding more closely to the jobs North Carolina needs to fill. It focuses on six major workforce areas:
Workforce area 01
Health care
Workforce area 02
Engineering
Workforce area 03
Advanced manufacturing
Workforce area 04
Skilled trades and construction
Workforce area 05
Information technology
Workforce area 06
Public safety
The state will regularly review job and workforce data. That will help colleges offer training for the skills employers need now, rather than relying on rules created years ago.
$39 million
will help move college programs into the new workforce funding areas.
$18.5 million
will help fund shorter workforce courses more like longer degree programs.
That second part matters. A student may take a short course to become a nurse aide instead of completing a full two-year degree. Under the old system, the shorter course could receive less state support. Propel NC gives colleges more support to grow short-term credentials and certificates alongside degree programs.
Students should not have to choose between a
fast path
and a
well-supported path.
Propel NC helps make both possible.
Why is the state doing this?
North Carolina employers need more trained workers in these high-demand fields. But too few community college students are currently enrolled in programs connected to those jobs.
The goal is simple: help colleges prepare more people for careers that are hiring and help students move more quickly toward good jobs.
What this could mean for you at Forsyth Tech
The changes will affect more than college budgets. They could expand the options available to students across Forsyth and Stokes counties.
1
More classes and opportunities
Programs connected to high-demand careers may have more room to grow.
2
Short classes count too
Certificates and workforce courses can receive stronger support, not only two-year degrees.
3
More paid training
Additional apprenticeship funding can help more students earn money while learning a career.
4
A campus closer to home
Support for locations such as the Northwest Forsyth Center can help students access education in their own communities.
5
Strong faculty and staff
Employee investments help colleges recruit and keep the people who teach and support students.
6
Training connected to real jobs
Programs will be reviewed using current labor-market information and employer needs.
An honest note
What has not happened yet
The state did not provide every dollar community colleges requested. Colleges asked for $68.5 million for this part of Propel NC and received $57.5 million.
That is still a major investment, but the changes will not happen overnight. The new funding structure can begin in the 2026–27 school year. Colleges will need time to review programs, hire employees, purchase equipment and add course sections.
In other words, students should not expect every new class to appear immediately. This is the beginning of a longer change.
Top 10
This investment comes at an important moment for Forsyth Tech.
This spring, Forsyth Tech was named one of the top 10 community colleges in the country. There are nearly 1,000 community colleges across the United States. Making the top 10 is a major achievement.
President Janet Spriggs has worked in North Carolina community colleges for 30 years. She has described Propel NC as one of the most significant funding changes she has seen. It gives Forsyth Tech more ability to grow the programs students and local employers need most.
The big picture
Propel NC gives Forsyth Tech more tools to respond to students, employers and the communities we serve.
It can help the college grow programs that lead to high-demand careers. It can strengthen shorter paths for adults who need to begin working quickly. And it can help students see a clearer connection between the classroom and the career waiting on the other side.
That is what community college should do: meet learners where they are and empower them to go as far as their dreams can take them.
Your next step
Thinking about a new career?
Talk with a Forsyth Tech advisor about programs connected to growing careers and find the path that fits your goals, your schedule and your life.
Dream. Learn. Thrive.