Struggling private Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama says it will close at end of May

By KIM CHANDLER
Associated Press

The private liberal arts school Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama has announced it will close at the end of May. The College Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to close the college located on the west side of Birmingham, one of Alabama’s major cities. The 168-year-old college with about 1,000 students said it had run into financial difficulties and was unable to secure a financial lifeline from the state. Legislation aimed at securing a taxpayer-backed loan stalled in the Alabama Statehouse. Small private colleges nationwide are struggling with a declining number of traditional college-aged students and competition from larger, richer institutions. Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin called the planned closure “disappointing and heartbreaking.”