Barber Scotia College appeals for alumni donations

CONCORD, N.C. — Hundreds of Barber Scotia Alumni are in expected to visit the Concord campus for homecoming this week

Campus leaders are appealing those alumni to make donations to help the school pay off around $12 million in debt as it works to regain accreditation.

Channel 9 learned around 600 alumni attended last year's homecoming events and the college is expecting even more this year.

The college is asking its alumni to commit to donating $100 or whatever they can afford to give every month for a year.

Junior Darrian Bush, who was crowned this year's Miss Homecoming, said she's looking forward to seeing alumni on campus for the homecoming activities and hopes that alumni will reflect on the impact the college had on their own success and invest in its future.

"We're really just trying to build the school back up and with their help we can make it just like how it was when they were here," Bush said.

President Dr. David Olah said the school is actively working to reach a short term goal of $3.5 million which would pay off an escrow fund owed to the Department of Education.

Tackling that immediate debt would help put the college on track toward financial stability and closer to regaining its accreditation.

In addition to collecting donations from alumni, Barber Scotia is also in touch with private donors.

On March 28, School leaders plan to hold a telethon where they would take donations by phone.  School leaders hope alumni, friends of the college and possibly celebrities with ties to the college participate in the phone bank.

WSOC