Miles College begins negotiations for Birmingham-Southern College campus

A photo of Birmingham-Southern College’s campus. (Birmingham-Southern College Communications Department)

Miles College has submitted a letter of intent to begin negotiations to purchase the Birmingham-Southern College campus, but both schools are keeping further details private.

“Birmingham-Southern College confirms that its Board of Trustees has accepted a letter of intent from Miles College to begin negotiations to purchase BSC’s 192-acre campus, but will have no further comments at this time,” wrote Virginia Gilbert Loftin, a spokeswoman for Birmingham-Southern College on Monday.

The school had its final graduation in May, as reported by al.com.

“I can confirm that the letter was signed on Juneteenth, but neither President [Bobbie] Knight nor the college will make any further comments at this time,” wrote Mya Jolly, a spokeswoman for Miles College on  Monday.

Birmingham-Southern College, which faced declining enrollment and years of financial turmoil, announced in March that it planned to close at the end of the 2023-24 school year after an extended attempt to obtain a loan from the state fell short.

The Alabama Legislature in 2023 passed a bill that allowed the state treasurer to provide loans to distressed institutions of higher education. But later that year, State Treasurer Young Boozer refused to grant a loan to Birmingham-Southern College, saying this past February that school did not have sufficient collateral. 

An attempt to rewrite the law in order to extend the loan to BSC failed in the 2024 legislative session.

The fate of the Birmingham campus, with at least one other school said to be looking at acquiring it. Al.com reported that Alabama A&M was planning an offer for the campus.

Miles College, located in Fairfield, is a historically Black, private liberal arts college that enrolls around 1,500 students, according to their website.

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