A duo of Tallahassee-based attorneys have filed an accompanying lawsuit to a case brought by two University of Florida graduates against the State of Florida, alleging systemic withholding of matching donations to its public institutions and depriving students of billions in financial aid and scholarship support.
Florida A&M University is named as an injured party in the suit, and is listed among the bottom rung of institutions shorted by the unmatched giving, which the plaintiffs say is required by state laws. From the Tallahassee Democrat:
That includes an estimated $159 million for the University of Florida; more than $49.7 million for Florida State; $4.5 million for Tallahassee Community College and $1.2 million for Florida A&M University.
Miami Dade College is owed more than $70 million, the lawsuit alleges.
Florida Governor Rick Scott and several individual state lawmakers are listed as defendants in the suit, which acknowledges that the state took advantage of a reprieve prior to 2012 due to financial hardship in the national economy, but which should have resumed following upward trends in state revenue.
