For decades, student organizations at the University of Missouri have built community, mentored students, and hosted events that draw hundreds of people every year. Now, five of those organizations — the Asian American Association, the Association of Latin American Students, FourFront, the Legion of Black Collegians, and the Queer Liberation Front — are losing the dedicated funding that made that work possible.

Starting July 2026, the University of Missouri's Division of Student Affairs will no longer provide direct funding to these groups. Instead, they'll be treated the same as any of the roughly 600 other recognized student organizations on campus — competing for money through a rolling six-period budget process, with no guarantee of resources from one cycle to the next. Last month, the Organization Resource Group — the office that manages this shared pool — sent a letter to student organizations saying it had already run out of money for the year.

These aren't small clubs. These are umbrella organizations that oversee dozens of under-organizations and run events that bring together hundreds of students. Stripping them of dedicated funding threatens the programs, events, and spaces that students depend on.

What's more, the Legion of Black Collegians — the first and only Black student governing body in the nation, founded in 1969 — will no longer be recognized as a student government at all. That's not just a budget cut. That's the erasure of a 56-year legacy. As LBC President Amaya Morgan put it, "It's taking away everything we've worked hard for. It's disrespectful to the people who came before me," according to KBIA.

The University says the decision was forced by a federal Department of Justice memo. But a memo is not a law. University of Missouri administrators have a choice — and right now, they're choosing compliance over community.

We're calling on University of Missouri President Mun Choi and the Division of Student Affairs to restore dedicated funding for these five student organizations and reinstate the Legion of Black Collegians' recognition as a student government. Students built these communities. The university should protect them.