To the members of the TSU community:

Although applications for admission to Tennessee State University are up, the university continues to face a $5-6 million deficit and declining out-of-state enrollment.  Late registration has been extended to Friday, September 5, 2008.  Students who have been attending class without being registered or arranging for payment of tuition and fees will be purged at that time. I am urging all faculty members, residence hall directors, deans, department chairs, and others to send students who are not listed on class rosters or who you know have not paid their fees to Financial Aid so arrangements can be made to help them. More importantly, I am appealing to each member of the TSU community to assist those students – currently 1338 – who have fallen short financially by donating to the Bridges Grant Program.  They are rising seniors on the verge of graduation and a promising future, freshmen who are just starting out, and sophomores and juniors who have invested many semester hours in the hope of completing their education.  All have fallen short.  A list that shows how little is needed to support them follows.

I am asking all TSU employees, community members, and alumni to join together and donate funds to allow these students to avoid being purged.  For a donation of as little as $150, a TSU student can be saved from being purged.  All donations will fund Bridge Grants, grants that will be administered by the TSU Foundation and awarded immediately to bridge the gap between the cost of tuition and fees and each student’s available resources.  These donations will be fully tax deductible. 

This appeal is especially directed at faculty, administrators and staff.  Without students, there is no Tennessee State University.  Student groups, alumni and community members can also donate.

All state universities raised tuition and fees, but for TSU this does not equate to an increase in revenue.  This year, TSU’s state appropriation was decreased by over $3 million.  Tuition for all students – both in-state and out-of-state – costs 6% more than it did a year ago. This hit our out-of-state students particularly hard:  in terms of dollars, a 6% increase in out-of-state tuition is almost four times the cost of a 6% increase in in-state tuition.  Currently, in-state undergraduate fees are $2566 per semester.  Out-of-state fees are $8,012 per semester.  While TSU’s in-state enrollment is stable and applications were actually up, our out-of-state enrollment has decreased, resulting in a net decrease overall. 

The final purge will occur on Friday, September 5, 2008.  There are 1338 students on the purge list.  Please contribute to the Bridge Grant program, reduce your personal tax liability, and lend a helping hand to a student.  You can use the attached Bridge Grant commitment form, or drop a check off at the TSU Foundation, located in Goodwill Manor.

Thank you to everyone for all that you do to support Tennessee State University.