Students at Lincoln University of Missouri are taking legal action against the state, alleging that it underfunded the learning institution for decades.
Filed by a group of alumni from the 80s and 90s, a former student and current students, the lawsuit says that the state has been perpetuating a systematic funding gap that has more education funds directed towards white students at the University of Missouri.
Also naming the state Coordinating Board for Higher Education, Governor Michael Kehoe, Higher Education Commissioner Bennett Boggs and the University of Missouri System President Mun Choi as defendants, the lawsuit alleges that Missouri underfunded Lincoln by $361.1 million from 1987 to 2020.
Overall, Lincoln received fewer funds per student than the University of Missouri. The state also failed to match funds for Lincoln as a federal land-grant allocation for seven years from 2000 to 2007, although they had fully matched funds for the University of Missouri.
In the years that followed, only a small portion was provided. Lincoln itself lost $43.5 million in its budget from 2000 to 2016 because of the lack of state funding. They also returned almost $8 million in funds over two years.
“Lincoln is constantly putting Band-Aids over bullet wounds because they do not have the resources to fully address the blow,” said plaintiff Makhi Jaff in the lawsuit, according to NBC News.
The underfunding of predominantly Black higher learning institutions has been a persistent issue in the U.S.
The U.S. Department of Education and Agriculture estimates that, across 16 states, land-grant HBCUs have been underfunded by $13 billion over the past three decades. From 2011 to 2022 alone, Black land-grant universities lost $200 million because states did not match funding.
Under the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890, the states are obligated to provide financial assistance.
Although they are underfunded, Black land-grant universities have persevered despite the economic inequities. Each year, they contribute $5.5 billion to the general economy and have helped provide $52 billion in lifetime earnings for students.
In their newest lawsuit, the students from Lincoln are requesting campus repairs, student services, additional financial aid and agricultural research programs. They are also asking for increased faculty hiring.
The lawsuit alleges that damages caused by underfunding, including deteriorating buildings and a lack of courses, require financial compensation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
