By BJ Austin, KERA News
Dallas, TX –
Embattled Paul Quinn College, in South Dallas, has cleared an important hurdle ahead of the fall semester.
A federal judge in Atlanta, today, reinstated the small, historically Black college to membership in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. That temporarily restores Paul Quinn's accreditation, and its ability to grant degrees and offer federal financial aid.
The school sued after it lost its accreditation "appeal".
College President Michael Sorrell said in a prepared statement that the court ruling is a signal Paul Quinn will ultimately prevail in its legal challenge for accreditation.
Sorrell says the school has made great strides getting finances and academics in order over the past two years. The Southern Association of Colleges noted that, but said it was not enough, and the probation period had expired.