Despite historic underfunding from the state of Tennessee and recent challenges with leadership turnover and student enrollment, Tennessee State University has made major improvements to its fiscal stability.
In the fall 2024 semester, total enrollment at Tennessee State University dropped by some 23 percent. That same semester, administrators told the HBCU’s board of trustees that the university was headed towards a $46 million deficit by the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. Shortly after, then-interim president Ronald Johnson abruptly resigned from his position. Following Dr. Johnson’s exit, the university’s board of trustees appointed Dwayne Tucker to serve as interim president.
Six months later, Tennessee State University worked with state officials to redirect state funding previously allocated for campus maintenance to instead support operational needs. This allowed the HBCU to repurpose some $96 million to stabilize its financial status.
Now, some five months after Tucker was named the permanent president of Tennessee State University, the HBCU is celebrating a major financial turnaround. In a recent interview with NewsChannel 5 Nashville, President Tucker said the university would end 2025 with $13.2 million more than initially forecasted.
President Tucker attributes this accomplishment to improved relationships with state officials and the hiring of several new senior administrators. “What a difference a year makes,” said President Tucker in the NewsChannel 5 Nashville interview. “It’s amazing how things work when you just tell people the truth and be transparent about what the challenges are at the university.”
