Kentucky State U. Drops One-Quarter of Student Body, Citing Tuition Owed

Kentucky State University announced on Wednesday it had dropped 645 students–roughly 25 percent of its enrollment–because they had not paid tuition, according to the university’s website. The university’s president, Raymond M. Burse, cited a $7-million budget deficit in the decision to disenroll students who owed the university more than $1,000 in tuition, fees, or room and board.

According to the historically black institution, students with outstanding debt were warned 22 times in the past 14 months of the university’s plan to hold them to account. Kentucky State’s foundations paid the debts of students who owed less than $1,000, and some scholarships were given to delinquent students who were set to graduate this year or were first-time college students.

“We have done everything we can to help students who need it the most,” Mr. Burse said in a written statement on the website. “The last thing we want to ever do is remove a student from enrollment, but the university cannot endure the entire burden.”

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