wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] 42 Barber-Scotia students expelled for failure to pay

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ECUNET.ORG>]

Note #8736 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

05268
May 18, 2005

College ousts 42 debt-ridden students

Barber-Scotia trying to survive financial problems of its own

by Evan Silverstein

LOUISVILLE - Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)-related Barber-Scotia College asked
42 students to "vacate the premises" last month for failure to pay their
bills. 

	The students were expelled from the 138-year-old, historically black
college in Concord, NC, and not allowed to take final exams. Barber-Scotia's
director of community relations, David Belton, said the 42 had defaulted on
promissory notes and ignored repeated warnings to settle their debts.

	Belton said the school even gave the students extra time to pay.

	"They had 30-day promissory notes that they had signed (in January),"
he said. "They were given phone calls, follow-up notices. I'm not sure that
some of them ever intended to pay, but that's my subjective opinion. The
point is that we gave them the benefit of the doubt, and we figure they
didn't think we were too serious."

	On April 29, officials asked 72 students to pay their bills or
"vacate the premises." Thirty were able to come up with the money.

	The delinquent charges for tuition, student fees and room and board
totaled about $70,000, of which $55,000 was overdue, Belton said. 

	He said most of the delinquent students were freshman, sophomores and
juniors. 

	The expelled students are eligible for readmission if they clear
their debt with the college. "They can come back," Belton said, "but they
have to pay, and then they can finish taking their exams."

	The troubled four-year institution, about 20 miles north of
Charlotte, has suffered financial setbacks in recent years, raising fears
that it may be forced to close its doors. Another racial-ethnic school
related to the PC(USA), Mary Holmes College in West Point, MS, was shut down
on March 3.

	Barber-Scotia's academic accreditation was withdrawn last June after
an academic-fraud scandal.
 
	The action by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools had
severe repercussions; it meant that Barber-Scotia could no longer receive
federal financial-aid funds, which had covered most students' expenses.

	Enrollment at the college has dropped more than 80 percent in the
past year. As of January, it had only 91 remaining students and 16 full-time
and two part-time employees. It had 33 full-time employees and seven
part-time workers last spring.

	Classes ended on May 17. Eleven students graduated on May 7. 

	When asked whether the school plans to reopen in August, Belton said:
"Yes, hopefully; but we'll see. There's a board meeting this Friday (May 20),
and we'll see what comes out of all of that."

	Michael Agamemnonos, a financial services manager in the PC(USA)'s
Mission Support Services office, said that, as of March 31, Barber-Scotia was
about $11 million in debt. He said it has anticipated expenses between now
and June of about $1 million, and there may be $5,000 in the college's
checking account.

	Agamemnonos said the denomination has already advanced some of
Barber-Scotia's $323,419 allocation from the 2005 Christmas Joy Offering,
which supports the seven Presbyterian-related racial-ethnic schools and
colleges. 

	Beneva Bibbs, the PC(USA)'s associate for Racial Ethnic Schools and
Colleges,
said the denomination stands ready to use its financial-planning expertise to
help Barber-Scotia's administration and trustees develop a viable business
plan.

	"The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is a willing partner in the search
for solutions," she said, "because we value higher education and the historic
mission of Barber-Scotia College."

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