An aerial view of Virginia State University (Photo courtesy of NBC12)

By Nathaniel Cline

(CNS) – Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration denies that the commonwealth has underfunded the historically Black Virginia State University compared to the state’s other land-grant institution, Virginia Tech, after federal officials estimated VSU is owed over $277 million in state funding from 1987 to 2020.

To calculate that figure, the U.S. Departments of Education and Agriculture used a database that the administration says has “well-documented issues.” In a letter to the federal agencies, Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera wrote that the commonwealth funded Virginia State “well above” Virginia Tech on a per-student basis, according to state data.

“The commonwealth has met its obligations for our 1862 and 1890 land-grant institutions,” Guidera wrote. “Our administration will continue to work tirelessly to improve outcomes at all of our institutions and to prepare students for success.”

Last month, the U.S. Departments of Education and Agriculture sent letters to the governors of 16 states including Gov. Youngkin, asking them to address underfunding for HBCU land-grant institutions such as Virginia State University.

In 1862, the Morrill Land-Grant Act, which helped create Virginia Tech, allowed states to establish public agricultural, mechanical and engineering colleges using proceeds from the development or sale of federal lands. The U.S. seized many of those lands from Native American communities.

When federal lawmakers saw that some colleges barred African Americans from enrolling, they created The Second Morrill Act of 1890, requiring states to establish separate land-grant institutions for Black students or demonstrate that admission to an 1862 land-grant school was not restricted by race.

In 1890, Virginia State University became the state’s second land-grant institution, intended for Black students. Virginia Tech did not admit any Black students until 1953.

While federal agencies say the state did not give equal funding to the schools between 1987 and 2020 and owes VSU $277 million, the governor’s administration said state records show it has not underfunded Virginia State University.

The administration said in its letter that Virginia State had been funded well above Virginia Tech on a per-student basis and that it has supported VSU better than any other gubernatorial administration.

However, the data collected using “state-maintained finance, accounting, and education systems” only goes back to 1994, which is a seven-year gap from the federal agencies’ claims that the commonwealth underfunded VSU. Virginia State University, which has had a much smaller enrollment than Virginia Tech, received $155,389 less in aggregate state funding than VT, according to data collected by the administration from 1994-2020, before Youngkin took office.

The administration found that Virginia may not have met matching requirements for certain U.S. Agriculture programs in some instances but said the shortfalls were “nominal.” A review of the 2011-2022 annual allocations and matching funds from the USDA to Virginia State University, the latest records available, doesn’t reveal a clear amount of the total shortfalls.

Much of the dispute centers on the data used by the federal government to come up with its $277 million estimate.

The federal government agencies used the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), a federal database operated by the National Center for Education Statistics that includes information on more than 7,500 U.S. colleges and universities from 1987 to 2020.

Guidera said in the letter that the IPEDS has “well-documented issues,” pointing to a report by the Institute for Higher Education Policy – a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization – which found that the IPEDS data system has several limitations, but it is unclear if the data is inaccurate.

“The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) is the nation’s most comprehensive source for information on more than 7,500 colleges and universities,” the report states. “However, IPEDS — as it currently operates — is insufficient to answer the emerging critical questions that facilitate college choice, transparency, policymaking, institutional improvement, and accountability, and in some cases answers questions that are no longer relevant.”

Dr. Mortimer Neufville, president and CEO of the 1890 Universities Foundation that represents the 19 institutions across the country including Virginia State, said in a response to the Youngkin administration’s letter that the commonwealth has not grasped the historic extent of underfunding and its impact on VSU.

“While we appreciate the Virginia Governor’s attention to this issue and the current level of commitment, it’s not apparent that he and others have fully grasped the historic extent of underfunding and how this continues to impact Virginia State to this day,” Neufville said in a statement.

He went on to ask that if state funding for Virginia State is “truly where it’s supposed to be, as the governor claims, then what’s the funding level match for its land-grant sibling Virginia Tech? If it’s identical, then we’ve indeed reached full parity. But, if that disparity between the two institutions remains, it appears we have a problem that’s in need of an equitable solution.”

The federal agencies did not respond to the Mercury’s questions about the dataset used in calculating the funding shortfall or the letter submitted by Youngkin’s administration.

On Sept. 29, Democratic U.S. Senators introduced the Land-Grant Research Equity Accountability Act to help states such as Virginia provide 1890s land-grant universities with their “fair share” of state funding. Should the legislation pass, it would require state administrations to annually and publicly provide evidence about whether they plan to fund their respective 1890 land-grant institutions.

Under current federal law, states are obligated to provide an equitable distribution of state funding for all land-grant universities. However, federal policymakers and agencies have said that historically Black land-grant universities have often been shortchanged.

No Virginia Senator had signed on with the legislation as of Oct. 24. However, Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both former governors in Virginia, said in a statement that they have “long been vocal supporters” of Virginia’s HBCUs, that they will continue to track the issue and hope the federal agencies and the commonwealth will “work together to ensure that Virginia’s HBCUs receive the funding they deserve.”

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, who represents the area that encompasses Virginia State University, said the report underscores the institutionalized racism and systemic underinvestment HBCUs have faced.

“Ultimately, this lack of funding translates to a loss of opportunity for hardworking students and limits universities’ ability to upgrade their infrastructure, invest in new curriculums, or undertake other initiatives,” McClellan said in a statement. “Instead of being defensive and attempting to deflect, Governor Youngkin should look at our nation’s history, recognize these long-standing inequities, and work to right these historical wrongs to ensure more equitable opportunities for every student in Virginia.”

In a statement from her office, Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger said the lack of equity should not be minimized.

“Rep. Spanberger remains committed to working with her federal colleagues, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Virginia administrators on the ground to make sure that Virginia HBCUs have the support they need to ensure student success,” said Connor Joseph, a spokesperson from Spanberger’s office. “She believes that a historic lack of equity is clear, apparent, and should not be downplayed for political purposes. That’s why she continues to advocate for federal and state lawmakers to work together, regardless of party, to rectify decades of underfunding — as outlined by the U.S. Department of Education and NCES data.”