HBCUs are underfunded. A legal effort starting in Missouri seeks to fix it

Current and former students of Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, filed a lawsuit against the state on Wednesday, alleging decades of systemic underfunding. The plaintiffs are seeking $549 million in damages to be directed toward campus infrastructure repairs and other institutional requirements.

The legal action centers on state legislative requirements regarding the financial support of the historically Black university. The case represents a broader effort to address long-standing funding disparities faced by historically Black colleges and universities.