Morris Brown College receives full accreditation after almost 20 years

After nearly two decades of effort, Atlanta's historic Morris Brown College has once again received full accreditation.

On Tuesday, the federally-recognized Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools voted grant accreditation to the historically Black Atlanta college at its annual meeting.  

The school has been without accreditation for the last 20 years after it was revoked by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in late 2002 based on fiscal management and debt. At one point, Morris Brown’s enrollment was down from a peak of 2,700 to 42 students in 2019. 

The lack of accreditation made it so that students were unable to receive federal loans. That changed in December 2021, when the federal government once again allowed federal aid to be used by Morris Brown students.

"I am honored to lead this great institution," said President Kevin James, who has led the university for the last three years. "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.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 was founded in 1881 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church and is the only college in Georgia founded by African-American patronage alone. The university is a private liberal arts college focusing on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, and technology.

The announcement comes in the same year an Atlanta business owner and Morris Brown alumni announced a scholarship fund to help students at the university.

Dr. Rashad Sanford, the founder of Atlanta Spine Doctors and co-founder of the popular restaurant Breakfast at Barney's, created the fund to reward $5,000 annually to five students studying hospitality management