Lincoln University students sue Missouri for $548.7 million

Seven current and former Lincoln University students have filed a federal lawsuit against Missouri, seeking $548.7 million and alleging decades of unequal state funding for the historically Black institution. The complaint also asks for federal supervision and a plan to ensure equal funding in the future. The allegations have not been established in court. The lawsuit says Missouri appropriated less money per student to Lincoln than to the University of Missouri during fiscal years 1987 through 2020. It seeks $548.7 million, including interest, for the alleged underfunding and resulting harms. The plaintiffs also request an injunction requiring Missouri to fully match Lincoln’s federal land-grant funding going forward. The complaint cites a 2023 estimate by the U.S. agriculture and education secretaries that Missouri underfunded Lincoln by about $361.6 million from 1987 through 2020, in 2020 dollars. That estimate concerns the historical funding shortfall, while the lawsuit’s larger figure is the amount the students seek, including interest.