A group of current and former students at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, filed a lawsuit demanding nearly $549 million from the state, alleging decades of unlawful underfunding of the historically Black university. The suit, filed on Wednesday, challenges Missouri’s compliance with a 19th-century federal law that requires equitable public financing for institutions established as Black-serving land-grant universities.
The plaintiffs argue that Missouri systematically failed to provide Lincoln University with the funds necessary to receive full federal matching allocations, which hindered the university’s ability to maintain facilities, support academic programs, and retain students. The lawsuit contends that these disparities were deliberate, noting that unlike Lincoln, the University of Missouri—established as the state’s first land-grant college but which did not admit Black students until 1950—was not subjected to similar funding performance criteria.
Don Calloway, a former Missouri legislator representing the plaintiffs, emphasized that the consequences of underfunding are still evident. “It is a very clear breach of the state’s statutory and contractual obligation,” he said. The suit seeks approximately $325 million in interest accrued over the years, with the funds earmarked for campus improvements, faculty hires, student services, and establishing a new endowment. A court-appointed special master would oversee the distribution of these funds.
Missouri’s governor’s office and attorney general declined to comment on the lawsuit. Lincoln University, which is not a party to the case, also refrained from making a statement.
The dispute traces back to federal land-grant laws passed in the 19th century, designed to support higher education institutions, including those serving Black students. However, states frequently failed to fulfill their matching fund obligations, disproportionately affecting historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In 2023, the Biden administration reported that 16 states, Missouri among them, collectively shortchanged their HBCUs by more than $12 billion. Delaware and Ohio were the only states identified as meeting their legal funding requirements.
Missouri began fully matching federal funds for Lincoln University in 2022 following Republican control of the governor’s office and legislature since 2017. Nonetheless, the lawsuit highlights the financial neglect endured over previous decades, asserting that the state’s recent funding reflects a conscious choice rather than a lack of fiscal capacity.
The plaintiffs are requesting that any court-ordered payments be made within three fiscal years, noting that Missouri's current state budget totals about $51 billion. Calloway expressed confidence in the state’s obligation to satisfy the judgment, stating, “We think the state is responsible for coming up with the judgment by any means necessary.”
The case builds on renewed national attention to HBCU funding disparities, following a 2023 federal report and a 2022 executive order signed by former President Donald Trump encouraging states to comply with their matching fund obligations.
Legal precedent exists for such claims; Mississippi settled a long-running lawsuit over HBCU underfunding in 2001 with payments exceeding $500 million, and Maryland reached a $577 million settlement in 2021. Calloway, who graduated from an HBCU in Alabama, indicated plans to pursue similar litigation in other states to address historic funding inequities.