Morris Brown College Is Functioning on Thin Ice

Morris Brown College, the historically black college in Atlanta, may be forced to close. The college lost its accreditation in 2002 causing enrollments to drop from 3,000 to just 56 students. When a college loses its accreditation, students are no longer eligible for federal financial aid. The college also lost the financial support of the United Negro College Fund. This past semester 240 students were enrolled.

Now the college has $1.5 million in outstanding bills including $380,000 in water bills owed to the city of Atlanta. In late December the city cut off water to the Morris Brown campus. College officials said that it would not reopen for the spring semester without water.

Copyright © 2008. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.