Bennett College needed $5 million to keep their accreditation by Monday, February 4. The day arrived and the only HBCU solely for women in North Carolina was able to celebrate that they did not only meet the dollar requirement but also surpassed it, raising $8.2 million.


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“When we were cited in December that we would be removed from membership in SACS, we were told that we did not meet one standard, which was financial resources. And so, SACS has 90 to 95 standards, and that’s the only standard we did not meet. So, to that extent we have to produce $5 million to demonstrate financial stability,” Bennett College President, Phyllis Worthy Dawkins said.

The school can now use the money that was raised to show they have financial stability and continue to provide the opportunity for education.

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Accreditation would be maintained by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’  and if they were not approved, the university would seek accreditation by a different organization. The formal appeal date to retain the accreditation is February 18, with a decision arriving on February 25.