Friday, Sept. 8 was the deadline for students at Fisk University to get their finances in order. Otherwise, the university will require them to leave campus this weekend under a new policy.
Students need to have a balance under $1,500 or be on a payment plan — which can come with a steep down payment.
Student organizers had been protesting for the university to extend the financial deadline. But Brynn Patterson, who’s been helping organize demonstrations, said she was told the cutoff was immoveable.
More: Fisk students protest over new university policy that would kick some off campus
Patterson said now students are regrouping and focusing on their other demands.
“So the fire hasn’t died, and we do still have that momentum,” Patterson said. “We definitely still want to continue protesting, like living conditions, security. We still want transparent communication.”
Last week, student organizer AJ Macon, who’s a sophomore at Fisk, explained some of the issues students have raised concerning campus housing.
“There are, in fact, a couple of the dormitories here that have black mold … As well as those micro-apartments over there, the ones that are made out of storage units that the school has been oh-so excited about, have waste water coming back into them.”
WPLN News has not independently verified these claims. Fisk University did not offer comment about them when contacted directly.
Alumni raise money to help students stay in school
Meanwhile, Fisk alumni have raised money to provide scholarships to students at risk of losing their enrollment.
A letter sent to the alumni association says they raised more than $80,000.
Screenshot of an email sent to Fisk alumni
Fisk University did not immediately respond to WPLN’s request for comment or questions about how many students could be kicked off campus. In a statement last week, Interim President Frank L. Sims wrote: “The administration is doing everything in their power to support students in their efforts to meet these obligations and every office from financial aid to student accounts is available to meet with students individually.”
Students who didn’t meet the Sept. 8 deadline are required to leave by Sunday, Sept. 10, less than a month after classes began.
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