Sojourner-Douglass College suffered a serious setback in its attempts to retain its accreditation last week. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education voted to withdraw the college’s accreditation by June of this year, last year.
The college appealed the decision and has been working to garner support in the community to ensure its survival. The appeal was denied last week.
The college has been on financially shaky ground since at least 2011. Without accreditation, the school will no longer be eligible for Pell grants, which are currently one of its primary sources of funding.
Enrollments have declined precipitously from over 1,000 students to under 700 since the college’s difficulties were made public.
Sojourner-Douglass served a predominantly Black student body, whose average age was 38.
Students will be given assistance in transferring to other schools after they finish out this year, Commission spokeswoman Phyllis Reece said last Thursday.
