Limestone University announced recently that they would be shutting their doors next fall, if they are unable to reach six million dollars in donations. The school has been open in Gaffney for nearly two hundred years, and has over fifteen hundred students. The original announcement took students by shock, and has gained national traction online. Since then, they have pushed back their day of decision, as they look for possible donors to help the school stay alive.
This entire situation is truly baffling to think about. Why did Limestone not announce their struggles before they did? It seems that they shut down without giving a second thought to the kids that they actually serve. If you ran a college that you knew had problems financially, there have to be avenues to combatting that. Whether it is more active fundraising, higher tuition costs, or an increased student population, money can surely be raised to save a school.
Are there no donors across the country that can provide the money needed to keep the school alive? Think of the charity that we see everyday. This is a national issue that people across the county are aware of. I think that if Limestone began to ask for support earlier in the year, by this point in time there would be no issue. Instead, we have reached a time of extreme urgency.
Many students who attend Limestone are there based off of athletic achievement. It is truly heartbreaking to imagine committing to a school and finding out it is being shut down.
Update-Limestone is one million dollars closer to being saved. This is a great start, and it is very encouraging to see that people are starting to take action. Attached is a link if you would like to help.
