Jackson State University Eliminates Eight Positions Due to Title III Funding Reallocation
Eight Jackson State University staff positions are slated for elimination by the end of the year as federal funding shifts, raising questions about the institution’s future fundraising capabilities. Mississippi Today reported that the job cuts stem from limitations on millions of dollars from the U.S. Department of Education.
At least a handful of the affected employees work in the university’s Division of Institutional Advancement, a department that oversees major gifts, alumni relations, and endowment growth. Those workers received notices stating their roles will end Dec. 31. The impacted jobs were tied to “JSU’s Activity Six, Title III, Part B, Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program,” which is one of 21 projects under the university’s 2022–2027 federal grant cycle.
University Officials Dispute Funding Loss Claims
While the elimination of positions was confirmed in a university letter obtained by Mississippi Today, administration spokespersons pushed back against the characterization that the school is losing federal money. Kelli Sharpe, a spokesperson for JSU, stated that the school is not losing Title III grant funding.
The personnel actions announced by the university are the result of a compliance-driven reallocation of funds, not a reduction or cancellation of federal support,
Sharpe said in an email to Mississippi Today. Anthony Howard, another university spokesperson cited by PressBee, similarly denied that JSU is losing Title III support, maintaining that the move is strictly a reallocation of federal dollars.
In 2022, Jackson State received $8.2 million in Title III funds, according to the U.S. Department of Education website. Created in 1965 under the Higher Education Act, Title III aims to help historically Black colleges and universities overcome historical underfunding by building infrastructure, developing academic programs, and raising endowments.
Unresolved Questions and Future Funding Uncertainty
University officials have not disclosed how much money is involved in the reallocation or where the shifted funds will be directed. Sharpe declined to explain the specific Title III policy changes that triggered the December 31 job cuts.
It remains unclear whether Jackson State University or the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL), which serves as the state’s college board, will seek alternative revenue sources to preserve the eight positions. IHL declined to comment to Mississippi Today regarding the layoffs. Meanwhile, university officials stated that affected employees have been encouraged to apply for other open vacancies at the institution.