Green Pledges $544M TSU Reimbursement as State's Land-Grant Match

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerri Green said she would seek to direct the remaining $544 million in state funding owed to Tennessee State University if elected. The state legislature determined Tennessee shortchanged TSU by that amount. Green told WPLN News she would prioritize the university's funding and would call on voters to press lawmakers if the appropriation is removed from her proposed budget.

State archival records show Tennessee provided no state matching funds for TSU for decades while always providing the required funds, and sometimes more, for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. TSU and UT are land-grant universities, and the state is required to match federal funding for programs in agriculture and science.

Gov. Bill Lee proposed a 2022 budget that included a $250 million investment in TSU for infrastructure projects. State lawmakers approved that proposal that year. No further action has moved through the statehouse to deliver the remaining balance of the $544 million.

Green said the state owes the money and should pay it with no conditions attached. She also addressed the political environment, noting that efforts to end diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have changed the climate since lawmakers voted in 2022. "If I put it in the budget and they try to take it out, well then we are going to make sure that Black voters across the state and others who are allies like myself, call those reps, hold them accountable in real time and push back," she said.

Green also spoke about other historically Black universities. She noted that Fisk University, a private HBCU in North Nashville, announced plans earlier this year to build a data center on campus after decades of financial hardship. "We've seen Fisk do this data center deal," Green said. "And we shouldn't be forcing these specific schools to rely on environmental racism to be able to stay open."

Republican gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn did not respond to repeated requests for comment.