A new bill filed by State Sen. Paul A. Lowe Jr. seeks to establish a program supporting nursing students at Winston-Salem State University through forgivable loans and academic selection, according to the North Carolina State Senate.
The bill, filed as SB 297 on March 17 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Nursing Fellows & Curric. Support Funds/WSSU.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill establishes the Nursing Fellows Program at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) to recruit and support nursing students preparing to become nurses or instructors in North Carolina. It provides forgivable loans to WSSU students enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Master of Science in Nursing Education programs. The selection will be based on academic performance and commitment to serve in the state. The program is administered by the State Education Assistance Authority and WSSU’s Dean of Health Sciences. A trust fund is created for financial assistance, utilizing appropriated funds and loan repayments. Additionally, $100,000 is appropriated for curriculum support services for nursing students at WSSU. The act is effective July 1, 2025, with initial loans awarded by April 1, 2026.
A related bill, HB 396, was also filed in the North Carolina House, introduced by Rep. Donny Lambeth (and three others) on March 13, 2025.
Of the three sponsors of this bill, Lowe proposed the most bills (14) during the 2025 regular session.
Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
Lowe graduated from Bishop College in 1985 with a BA and again from Drew University School of Theology with a DMIN.
Lowe, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2015 to represent the state’s 32nd Senate district, replacing previous state senator Earline Parmon.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul A. Lowe, Jr., Dan Blue, and Gale Adcock | SB 297 | 03/17/2025 | Nursing Fellows & Curric. Support Funds/WSSU. |
| Paul A. Lowe, Jr. and Gladys A. Robinson | SB 301 | 03/17/2025 | Film and Entertainment Grant Fund Mods. |
| Paul A. Lowe, Jr., Benton G. Sawrey, and Eddie D. Settle | SB 317 | 03/17/2025 | Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act. |
| Paul A. Lowe, Jr. and Gladys A. Robinson | SB 283 | 03/13/2025 | Expand Sickle Cell Disease Programs & Svcs. |
| Paul A. Lowe, Jr. and Dana Jones | SB 241 | 03/05/2025 | Funds for Smith Reynolds Airport MRO Hangar. |
| Paul A. Lowe, Jr., Gladys A. Robinson, and Michael Garrett | SB 243 | 03/05/2025 | Commuter Rail Study/Piedmont Triad. |
| Paul A. Lowe, Jr. | SB 196 | 02/27/2025 | Winston-Salem/Forsyth Co. Planning & Zoning. |
| Paul A. Lowe, Jr. | SB 197 | 02/27/2025 | Funds for Smith Reynolds Airport MRO Hangar. |
| Paul A. Lowe, Jr., Mujtaba A. Mohammed, and Val Applewhite | SB 211 | 02/27/2025 | Reenact the Earned Income Tax Credit. |
| Paul A. Lowe, Jr. | SB 184 | 02/26/2025 | System Development Fees/Exemption. |
| Paul A. Lowe, Jr. | SB 185 | 02/26/2025 | Restore Down-Zoning/Forsyth Co. |
| Paul A. Lowe, Jr. | SB 186 | 02/26/2025 | Funds for Ladder Truck for WS Fire Station 19. |
| Paul A. Lowe, Jr. | SB 187 | 02/26/2025 | 32nd Senatorial District Local Act-1. |
| Paul A. Lowe, Jr. | SB 189 | 02/26/2025 | Winston-Salem Civil Service Board. |
