TSU students report financial aid issues; school cites FAFSA problems

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee State University (TSU) students have until Thursday to either pay their full tuition or make a payment plan with the school. If not, their fall semester classes will be dropped.

Several students contacted News 2, claiming they have reached out to TSU on the matter but couldn’t get through to school officials. The students also claimed they’re not meeting tuition requirements due to the financial aid and scholarships not showing up on their balance.

“I’ve reached out to all the necessary offices to ask, ‘Where’s my aid? What is going on? Are you guys expecting us to agree, contractually agree, to a payment plan that’s incorrect?'” Jermaine Simpson, a TSU sophomore, said.

Simpson is a legacy student with multiple family members who have graduated from TSU. He said his relatives told him financial issues have been around for years.

“They’re all truly disgusted by what’s going on because they said that they’ve dealt with the same type of issues when they attended 20 years ago, and they’re like, ‘Why has nothing changed?’ They’re saddened to see that there’s no progress within the university,” Simpson said.

If their classes are purged, some out-of-state students are contemplating whether to enroll in their local colleges. Many have spent the last few years at TSU and don’t want to leave.

In March, Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill to vacate TSU’s entire Board of Trustees and announced his appointees for the seats. Then, in June, the new board hired Dr. Ronald Johnson as the school’s interim president.

When asked for a comment, TSU sent the following statement to News 2:

Initially, students received August 1 and 5, as purge dates to pay outstanding fees or to enroll in a payment plan. However, based on issues that thousands of students are facing with the new FAFSA process, including TSU students, the University will hold the first purge at a later date that is yet to be determined. Students who maintain good academic standing and are eligible for merit-based scholarships or federal financial aid will be exempt from account purges, provided their FAFSA and all other documents are complete. To ensure the timely application of scholarships and aid, it is essential for students to submit a completed FAFSA. This requirement is mandated by the Federal government under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. Currently, nearly 800 students do not have a FAFSA on file, and over 300 students have incomplete applications. An incomplete application is the most common reason for delayed financial aid. We strongly encourage students to visit the FAFSA website and promptly address any outstanding issues. This will help ensure their aid is processed in a timely manner and avoid any unnecessary disruptions to their academic journey.

TSU Spokesperson

The FAFSA filing deadline to remain eligible for the Tennessee Promise scholarship is 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1. The Tennessee Hope scholarship application, however, will remain open until Sept. 1.

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