Written By Lexx Thornton
After the nationwide shutdown of Job Corps program, Morris Brown College is stepping up.President Dr. Kevin James who once taught at Job Corps is personally inviting displaced students to apply and find a new academic home at the historic HBCU. With full accreditation and access to federal financial aid, Morris Brown is ready to support their next chapter. Counselors are on standby to help students to enroll and keep their goals on track.
Welcoming former Job Corps students can help Morris Brown College (MBC) with both enrollment growth and financial stability in several key ways. Enrollment is critical to a college’s survival, especially for small, private institutions like Morris Brown that are rebuilding. JobCorps graduates are a steady, nationwide pipeline of students looking for the next steps after completing their training.
MBC can tap into a non-traditional student population—older students, career changers, and low-income individuals who are motivated to continue their education. Higher enrollment helps MBC financially by meeting accreditation requirements, gaining more visibility and legitimacy, and qualifying for increased federal and state funding.
MBC may qualify for federal education grants targeted at underserved or disadvantaged students, including Job Corps alumni. Programs like Pell Grants and TRIO (for low-income and first-generation students) can directly bring in money per student. Also having a mission-aligned population like Job Corps students can help attract private donations and foundation support for”second chance” education.
Bringing in 100 former Job Corps students could net nearly $1 million or more per year—a transformative amount for a school like Morris Brown, which is rebuilding from financial challenges and re-accreditation.