NC A&T State endowment surpasses $200 million

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY

North Carolina A&T State University, the nation’s largest historically Black college by enrollment, is the first publicly-funded HBCU to cross the $200 million endowment mark.

North Carolina A&T State University has reached a new level of support.

A&T, the nation’s largest historically Black college or university by enrollment, is the first public HBCU to cross the $200 million endowment mark, territory that previously was surpassed by Howard University, Spelman College, Hampton University and Morehouse College – all private schools.

A&T’s $202 million endowment as of June 30 represents a near tenfold increase since outgoing Chancellor Harold Martin was hired in 2009.

“As our endowment grows, it provides significant income to fund programs and enhance operations at North Carolina A&T,” said Martin, who will retire Aug. 15. “It also increases our funding flexibility, allows us to plan more effectively for future initiatives and lends strength to our bond ratings – all important in a highly competitive higher education marketplace.”

A&T’s endowment growth reflects increased private giving and management of campus holdings. A&T’s growing portfolio of resources is connected to the school’s growth as a doctoral research university with a $2.4 billion economic impact on North Carolina. The school is on the verge of attaining Tier I research status, which would make it the fourth North Carolina college to do so along with UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University and Duke University.

When Martin started at A&T, the school’s endowment was valued at about $20 million. Within three years, the university launched the Campaign for North Carolina A&T with a goal of $85 million. That mark was increased to $100 million and ultimately ended in 2020 with $181.4 million raised as the largest capital campaign ever undertaken by a public HBCU. The initiative boosted the endowment to $140 million.

A&T has $218 million in total financial assets managed for the school by third-party professionals. New private gifts helped the endowment grow, even during the COVID-19 pandemic and rising inflation rates, by nearly 5%.

“Our outstanding Endowment Committee and investment managers are effective stewards of our investment portfolio, always ensuring that those funds are managed in ways that bring value to the university,” said Robert Pompey, A&T’s vice chancellor for business and finance. “Their work is a significant part of the story of our growth.”

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