JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A representative from the state’s capital and a representative who is a graduate from the state capital’s largest university announced that they intend to seek more state and federal funding for the institution.
Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, and Rep. Joshua Peters, D-St. Louis, have proposed increased land grant funds for Lincoln University to overcome a shortfall that has forced the college to miss out on potentially available, federally-matched funds.
The Morrill Act of 1890, also known as the Agricultural College Act of 1890 allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges like Lincoln, with the intent to give such schools a focus on studying agriculture. The state of Missouri can allocate up to $7 million for the university and receive a 1:1 federal match. This fiscal year, however, it has received just 20 percent of that amount – $1.4 million. Gov. Jay Nixon declined to include in his budget an increase for the program this year, but last year the General Assembly voted to give the school an extra $500,000
“It’s disappointing that Governor Nixon would ignore this opportunity for agricultural research in our state,” Barnes said in a statement. “Agriculture is Missouri’s number one industry and job producer. We hope to make substantial progress in closing the funding gap in the upcoming budget so that Missouri farmers can enjoy the full benefit of Lincoln’s land-grant status.”
The University of Missouri’s Columbia campus is the state’s only other land-grant university. Peters, a graduate of Lincoln University, said providing the extra funding was a matter of fairness.
“Lincoln University is our state’s most diverse institution and performs agricultural research that is vital to rural Missouri,” Peters said. “It is well past time for Lincoln to be treated fairly and receive its full land-grant appropriation.”
