The Problem
In 2020 and 2021, Representative Harold Love discovered that the state of Tennessee had failed to provide TSU, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), a required one-to-one match under the 1890 Land Grant Act.
In 2020 and 2021, Representative Love secured over $500 million in owed funding for Tennessee State University.
Potential for Replication in Your State
If you have a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) established through the 1890 Land Grant in your state, it also may be owed funding.
Your state’s HCBU (“1890 institution”) may have suffered from your state’s failure to provide state-matching funds that are equitable to what they appropriated to predominantly white land grant colleges and universities (“1862 institutions”).
Legislative Context: The 1890 Land Grant Act
The 1890 Land Grant Act, also known as the Second Morrill Act of 1890, provides federal grants for agricultural research, education, and extension to nineteen 1890 institutions. These grants come through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
HBCUs did not always have access to the land grant program. Initially, USDA only provided land grant funds to the fifty-seven 1862 institutions deemed eligible under the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862.
Drafting HBCU Funding Legislation: A Primer
This section breaks down the process to:
Identify if your state has an HBCU funding gap and is owed money
Build stakeholder buy-in
Draft legislation
Pass legislation
At each step, we offer the questions we would advise you to consider in your own work to pass legislation.
At the end of this step-by-step breakdown, we have shared a full case study of Representative Love’s work. It includes specific legislation names and constituent outreach.
THE PROCESS
Case Study: Representative Harold Love & Tennessee State University
While we recognize that every state legislature is unique, we hope sharing the innovative and effective work of Representative Love as a case study will be helpful for your further inspiration—and action.
Legislation Step One: Establish a Fact-Finding Study Committee
On June 20, 2020, the Tennessee General Assembly formed the Land Grant Institution Funding History Study Committee. This six-member bipartisan committee was tasked with studying inequities of prior years’ federal and state funding for land-grant higher education institutions, including TSU.
This committee was essential for building TSU’s legislative and political support to obtain its state-match funding.
Hearings:
- On November 10, 2020, they held a hearing entitled “Historical Overview of Land-Grant Institutions,” with the Tennessee Higher Education Committee, Director of HBCU Success, Dr. Brittany Mosby.
- On December 8, 2020, they held a hearing entitled “Overview of Historical Funding” with Peter Muller, House Budget Analysis Director.
- On January 11, 2021, they had presentations from TSU leadership, including University President Dr. Glenda Glover, Ph.D.
- On April 5, 2021, they held a hearing with the Office of the Legislative Budget Analysis
Budget Analysis
Representative Love used the Office of Legislative Budget Analysis to find funding disparities between 1890 and 1862 Institutions
He found that between 1957 and 2007, TSU did not receive the required match from the state of Tennessee. He also discovered that in many instances, it still needed to receive the total amount of federal funding passed through the state.
Policy Work
On June 30, 2021, he held a TSU planning recommendations meeting to discuss applicable laws on land grant colleges.
Legislation Step Two: Engage Stakeholder Support
Political Stakeholders
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Bipartisan Allies:
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State Governor:
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University Leadership Stakeholders
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- Coalitions and Like-minded Stakeholders
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Legislation Step 3: Execute Legislative Strategy
Floor and Committee Talking points and messaging:
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