NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Some Tennessee State University students are worried they could be kicked out of the school due to financial aid and scholarship issues.
Several TSU students told News 2 that their scholarships and financial aid funding did not reach their accounts, forcing them to pay thousands of dollars they did not plan to by Tuesday, Jan. 30, or they would be kicked out of school.
After repeated unsuccessful attempts to get answers from TSU, a parent, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, reached out to News 2 for help.
“Tennessee, they're letting us down right now,” the mother of a sophomore said. “It's very unfortunate that I had to come here and do this, but I tried to get in. I went in there and spoke to the Ibis Dorme lady, and I tried to go to management…they weren't in the office.”
The mother said that although her daughter got a full ride to university, her school account said there was a balance due. As a result, her account has been suspended, preventing her from registering for classes for the spring 2024 semester.
“This could lead to her certificate of honor being tampered with; “It might ruin her grade point average,” the mother said. “We want someone who can answer for these students, someone who can come here and help us take care of our kids so they can be less stressed. School is already stressful.”
A Tennessee comptroller's report on TSU released last year cited several similar situations in which students encountered issues with scholarships during the 2022-23 academic year, including the promise of non-existent scholarships and, as the report said, “a lack of timely or clear “Scholarship-related responses.
A TSU spokesperson told News 2 there could be a number of reasons a student could lose their scholarship, including not meeting the minimum grade point average or credit hour requirements for the scholarship. Additionally, CARES Act funds from the federal government that TSU was using to pay off students' tuition balances have since run out, which may explain why some students have a larger tuition balance than before.
TSU News 2 issued a statement that read:
“All institutional scholarships have been awarded and students should check their accounts for updates. Other student accounts are being updated with other forms of financial aid as information is submitted for processing. Some students have not had their student loans accepted. We advise students that it is okay to take out loans. The university is also seeking assistance from third parties to assist students.
