Tennessee State University could be getting $250 million from the state to fix up its campus. But some students say the college is owed a lot more due to decades of underfunding. A report found the state’s tab was upwards of $500 million.
Students are pushing for a larger say in the amount of money lawmakers distribute and how it’ll be spent.
“I think there should be some more discussion about it,” says Passion Ray, a graduate student at TSU. “So, maybe, everybody can get on the same page.”
One demand is to repair beat-up buildings that hurt the learning environment — especially for students with disabilities.
“Let’s really look at the population of students with disabilities and accommodate them,” adds Ray.
Another request is for lawmakers to provide more money to address issues beyond infrastructure needs.
“Lack of funding also affects professors because we don’t have a lot of professors for the social work curriculum,” says Demeria Davis, an undergraduate at TSU. “We see the same professors and they’re overworked.”
Last year, nonprofit Education Trust in Tennessee advocated that state lawmakers grant TSU a no-strings-attached repayment.
The more than hundred-million funding request is part of Gov. Bill Lee’s latest budget proposal. It has yet to be approved by the state legislature.
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