See what Winston-Salem State (WSSU)'s published rules mean for your student's numbers. Takes 30 seconds.
The merit-aid verdict at Winston-Salem State (WSSU)
WSSU routes nearly all merit and institutional aid through a single Scholarship Universe portal (200+ awards, one application, open March 1–31, 2026) rather than a published GPA/test dollar grid — and the Next NC Scholarship covers tuition and fees for NC families earning up to $80,000.
Common merit-aid mistakes at Winston-Salem State (WSSU)
The institutional/merit scholarship portal is only open March 1–31, 2026 for Fall 2026 — miss the window and you miss matching to the 200+ awards.
WSSU does not publish an automatic stat-based merit dollar grid; merit and institutional awards are matched through one Scholarship Universe application and are limited by available funding.
Families earning up to $80,000 can have tuition, fees, and more covered — but you must complete the FAFSA to qualify.
Awarding is limited based on available funding and requires the Scholarship Universe application; being admitted is not the same as being awarded.
WSSU advertises a low average annual (net) cost of about $12,415 for in-state aided students, but the sticker cost of attendance is about $19,728 in-state ($29,975 out-of-state) before aid.
Who this school is for
Admitted WSSU students — especially North Carolina residents (Next NC covers tuition and fees up to $80k income) — who apply through Scholarship Universe during the March application window; strong students who receive an institutional merit award also gain Honors Program entry.
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $19,728 for 2026-2027. Source
Federal cost and outcome data
Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Winston-Salem State (WSSU), what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.
Average annual net price by family income at Winston-Salem State (WSSU), academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family income
Average net price paid
$0–$30,000
$11,463
$30,001–$48,000
$12,412
$48,001–$75,000
$14,681
$75,001–$110,000
$18,813
$110,001+
$21,405
All income levels (average)
$13,479
Sticker price vs. what students actually pay
Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$6,126
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$16,782
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$13,479
That works out to roughly a 42% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $23,147 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).
Winston-Salem State (WSSU) is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.
Outcomes for students who enrolled here
Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
47%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
77%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$25,000 (~$265/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$45,344
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
80%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
77%
Institutional merit aid tiers
Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.
Not published on an opened official page (a search snippet referenced a 3.75 minimum GPA for new freshman merit applicants — unconfirmed)
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Admitted students enrolled in degree-granting programs; submit one Scholarship Universe application to be matched to 200+ scholarships; portal open March 1–31, 2026 for Fall 2026
Renewal terms
Renewal terms not published on these pages.
Notes
WSSU does not publish an automatic GPA/test merit dollar grid on its official pages; institutional/merit awards are applied for and matched through the Scholarship Universe portal. Awarding is limited based on available funding.
North Carolina families earning up to $80,000; complete the FAFSA
Renewal terms
Renewal terms not detailed on this page; requires FAFSA.
Notes
State/federal need-based program for NC residents that covers tuition, fees, and more at NC public universities. Income-gated (up to $80,000 family income).
WSSU states an outside scholarship generally reduces the loan amount a student is eligible to receive, and notes that in some cases grants may be reduced as well; the published policy does not specify a strict order, a protective over-award gate, or any effect on work-study.
Verified policy language (2026-07-02): What is an outside scholarship? A scholarship from any organization or agency other than WSSU, such as a community or civic group, or a religious organization is considered an outside scholarship. I am getting an outside scholarship; will this affect my other financial aid? In some cases, an outside scholarship can affect your other financial aid, generally by reducing the loan amount that you are eligible to receive. However, in some cases grants may be reduced as well. Separately, the school's own award-stacking rules: Merit and institutional awards are applied for and matched through one Scholarship Universe application; awarding is limited based on available funding. (per https://www.wssu.edu/admissions/scholarships-and-financial-aid/scholarships/scholarship-universe.html)
Through the WSSU Scholarship Universe portal — one application matches you to 200+ scholarships. It is open March 1–31, 2026 for the Fall 2026 semester (admitted students only).
Does WSSU publish a merit scholarship GPA/test chart?
No automatic stat-based merit dollar grid is published on WSSU's official pages; awards are matched through Scholarship Universe and limited by available funding.
What is the Next NC Scholarship?
A program for North Carolina families earning up to $80,000 that covers tuition, fees, and more at NC public universities; complete the FAFSA to qualify.
How does the Honors Program relate to scholarships?
Incoming freshmen can enter the Honors Program as recipients of an institutional merit-based scholarship; continuing/transfer students apply with a 3.25 GPA and supporting materials.
What does it cost to attend WSSU?
The sticker cost of attendance is about $19,728 in-state and $29,975 out-of-state (tuition, room, meals, fees, health insurance); the average net cost for in-state aided students is about $12,415.
How Winston-Salem State (WSSU) compares across our verified dataset
147 of 750 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.
Winston-Salem State (WSSU) is in a recognizable cluster (147 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
668 of 750 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Winston-Salem State (WSSU) is one of them. The cohort minority (82 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.
Sources used on this page
Every claim is checked against Winston-Salem State (WSSU)’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
