Morris Brown College has made history as the first and only college in the United States to receive full accreditation, and funding, after two decades of standing without it.

Tuesday, the federally-recognized Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools convened for its annual meeting and held a vote where the group granted full accreditation to the historically Black-owned college.

The re-accreditation now allows students attending Morris College to receive federal funding and fully accredited degrees.

Previously funding and accredited degrees were revoked in 2002 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools after discovering “a former President and financial aid director was misappropriating money from the Department of Education,” CBS 46 reports.

According to Fox 5 Atlanta, the lack of federal funding drastically impacted the institution; the enrollment rate dropped from its peak of 2,700 students to 42 students in 2019, while the institution accumulated millions of dollars in debt.

President Kevin James, who has led the institution for the past three years, came forward to share a statement with the public.

“Many thought that this feat was impossible, but due to our strong faith in God, our hardworking and wonderful faculty and staff, the support of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, our dedicated alumni, and our resilient spirit, we were able to achieve full accreditation,” he shared. “Morris Brown offers a unique, affordable, and quality education that prepares students for success. This was truly the Hard Reset. This is just the beginning!”

Morris Brown College intends to hold a press conference on April 28 to announce this historic decision formally and detail its plans to move forward.

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