Agents at the Metro Nashville Police Department claim Starr Branch forged a $36,741.07 check to pay tuition at Tennessee State University (TSU), WKRN reports.
Branch, 23, was arrested after she allegedly told the TSU bursar staff that a check from “Indiana Transport” was mailed to the school’s collection agency in order for her to stay enrolled for the 2025 spring semester but was delivered to the wrong address.
Before requesting a hold on her enrollment status to be lifted—which would allow her to stay on campus—Branch allegedly told staff members that a replacement check would be mailed to the correct address.
Weeks passed. The HBCU still had not received the funds, and Indiana Transport notified the bursar’s office that the company never issued or authorized the check. Branch then told officers that her father provided the check but failed to give evidence or contact information for him to support her claims.
The ordeal resulted in Branch being charged with felony worthless check over $10,000 but less than $60,000 and felony forgery over $10,000 and less than $60,000.
Court documents revealed she was booked into jail on a $30,000 bond.
The timing is terrible as TSU is in survival mode. According to Higher Ed Drive, interim President Dwayne Tucker said during a meeting in early February 2025 that the school is on track to run out of money by April or May 2025. The school is leaning on assistance from state lawmakers in hopes of staying afloat and having time to revamp its operations and finances for the long term.
“It’s a fact that we can’t pay our bills,” Tucker said, who added that the school wouldn’t be open without state assistance.
The HBCU faced a number of significant financial crises after missing enrollment targets and operating deficits. The school is projected to have a $46 million deficit by the end of the fiscal year. Identified inefficient processes in financial aid, advising, and enrollment systems added to the struggles.
TSU launched a full scholarship program without a plan to fund it. The scholarship attracted students: 8,198 students for the 2023 fall semester compared to 7,774 in 2018. However, TSU couldn’t afford to maintain those aid levels.
During fiscal 2022, $37 million was paid toward the scholarship using federal pandemic emergency funds. When the funds ran dry, TSU was forced to issue tens of millions of dollars in institutional financial aid, causing a heavy discount on tuition.
Tucker plans to present a five-year turnaround plan to the state legislature, highlighting operations through the first year being financed by removing restrictions on close to $150 million out of $250 million the state previously set aside for the school’s infrastructure.
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