A historic staple in the HBCU community has just taken another huge step to regaining its power.
The Federal Financial Aid program has officially been reinstated to Morris Brown College in Atlanta after nearly 20 years.
Morris Brown on Thursday announced that the U.S. Department of Education reinstated its participation in the federal program after the historically Black college received its accreditation candidacy from the Transnational Association of Christian College and Schools.
The Virginia-based accrediting organization is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. According to the institution’s news release, the candidacy means that Morris Brown is compliant with the standards that are needed from the accrediting body.
Morris Brown College (founded in 1881) signage on July 18, 2015, in Atlanta. | Source: Raymond Boyd / Getty
The school can now use this tool to attract young and talented minds to Morris Brown by offering them a chance to receive Federal Financial Aid. Pell Grants, student loans, federal work-study, scholarships and more are all now on the table for prospective students seeking higher education who are thinking about attending Morris Brown.
“We are elated about the reinstatement of Federal Financial Aid at Morris Brown College this is history! I want to thank the team for their hard work and for making this possible. Students can now pay to attend Morris Brown College which happens to be one of the most affordable colleges in the entire state of Georgia,” Morris Brown President Kevin James said Thursday in a news release. “It is my goal that our students graduate with little to no debt. Morris Brown College is now a viable option to everyone as we are historically a haven for all hungry souls. It is a new day for Morris Brown College. This is truly The Hard Reset!”
Morris Brown lost their accreditation in 2002 because of debt and financial mismanagement. This meant that students lost the chance to apply for federal financial aid if they attended the school. Eventually, the school was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2012 and had only 42 students on campus in 2019 after enrolling nearly 3,000 students in the past.
The school began taking strides toward regaining its accreditation last year when its application was finally accepted.
This new development opens the door for Morris Brown to continue to try to grow into the thriving Black educational ecosystem that it once was.
The institution was once a pivotal part of the HBCU community and the positive turnaround that it has experienced in this last year gives us hope that one of our storied institutions will be able to recreate its glory days soon.
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Morris Brown College Makes Stride Towards Regaining Accreditation
