The Morris Brown College administration announced the school’s application to the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) has been approved.
The Atlanta Voice reported the news, first announced by the institution’s president, Dr. Kevin James, who shared that officials from TRACS will visit the campus in January 2021 for a final evaluation.
If the review is successful, Morris Brown would regain its accreditation in April 2021.
With accreditation, students at the school will be able to receive federal financial aid, and their degrees will be recognized by other schools and employers.
President James told The Atlanta Voice, “This is history in the making. Morris Brown intends to become the first HBCU to earn its accreditation back twenty years after losing it.”
The college first lost its accreditation from Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) in 2002 because of debt and a mishandling of finances.
The school’s fundraising efforts to regain its accreditation soared during its virtual 2020 homecoming celebration.
Dr. James reported the school received $500,000 from alumni to fund the accreditation process. A $100,000 donation from 1977 alumna Dr. Sheree Jones Dixon pushed the school over its goal.
President James posted to the school’s Instagram page to share the exciting news.
Other HBCUs accredited by TRACS include Paine College, Bennett College, Paul Quinn College, and Virginia University of Lynchburg.
Prominent Morris Brown alumni include legendary civil rights activist Hosea Williams, star comedian Sommore, and the late actor Thomas Byrd, among others.
Photo: Morris Brown College