The college’s Board of Trustees sent a letter out to parents and students Friday, Jan. 1, explaining that a lack of funds had led to the decision to halt classes until fall 2016.
“Today, we are standing at a crossroads, with several entities interested in partnering with us to give Barber-Scotia a new future,” Board of Trustees chair Barry Green and the college’s Executive Administrator Brenda Simms wrote in the letter. “In order to take advantage of these opportunities, the board has found it necessary to reorganize and restructure the institution for more effective operations in the future. We are therefore suspending classes for the spring 2016 semester, while the Board of Trustees restructures the institution and seeks additional partners to support the mission of a New Barber-Scotia College.”
The institution ran into financial troubles when it lost its accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 2004, which also meant the loss of eligibility for Department of Education Federal Financial Aid—student loans and other tools for students to help pay tuition.
The college also lost membership in the United Negro College Fund.
“These losses have had a major impact on the College’s ability to operate effectively, and on students’ abilities to obtain college funding,” the letter said. “The College has really struggled to meet its monthly commitments, particularly after we lost eligibility for funding from the Presbyterian Church Joy fund in December 2012.”
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