Bennett College, the all-women’s historically black college in Greensboro, N.C. has entered its last day for fundraising to keep the doors of the school opened. The college still needs nearly $1.5 million to keep its accreditation and is accepting donations through Cash App and its website.
Bennett has leaned on alumni, students and corporate donations in the last two months. The institution has received major donations from Alpha Kappa Alpha, Papa John’s and other HBCU graduates.
Alpha Kappa Alpha donated $100,000 and has committed $10 million towards Bennett’s endowment over the next four years.
72% has been raised! There is still enough time to stand with us by giving what you can!
You can donate by going to our website at https://t.co/ijMR330UTH, CashApp: $StandwithBennett or by Text2Give: Text BELLES to 444999! Thank you all! #StandWithBennett #BennettCollege pic.twitter.com/LVno5jaj3r
— Bennett College (@BennettCollege) January 31, 2019
Bennett’s struggle is not a new one for historically black colleges and universities— 17 HBCUs have closed following financial hardships, while a significant amount of other institutions have already lost their accreditation.
Funding for HBCUs has always been a touchy subject. In 2015, South Carolina State University fought to remain open after receiving inadequate funding from its state. Other public HBCUs in South Carolina sued the state on behalf of SCSU. Morgan State University, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Coppin State University and Bowie State University in Maryland also filed lawsuits that year against Maryland for unequal funding.
For more information on how to donate, click here.
Update: On Monday, Bennett College announced that it reached its funding goal and highlighted a $1 million donation from High Point University, another institution in North Carolina, during a press conference. Bennett College received more than 11,000 donations, raising $8.2 million.
