Lincoln University Students Sue Missouri for $549 Million Over Decades of Underfunding
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 7
Lincoln University Students Sue Missouri for $549 Million Over Decades of Underfunding
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 7
Summary
$549 million is what current and former Lincoln University students are seeking in a lawsuit filed Wednesday, alleging Missouri illegally underfunded the historically Black university for decades.
Lincoln University in Jefferson City sits at the center of a case that will test whether Missouri met obligations under 19th-century land-grant laws requiring equitable public support for Black institutions.
The plaintiffs argue that chronic state shortfalls also deprived the school of matching federal dollars, leaving the effects of underfunding visible today; Missouri officials had not commented, and the university said it had no comment.
Missouri was among 16 states the Biden administration said in 2023 had collectively shortchanged HBCUs by more than $12 billion, underscoring the broader financial strain facing many of the schools.