Bloomfield College Seeks Financial Support to Continue Operations

On Oct 20, 2021

Because of declining enrollments over the last decade, which have been exacerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bloomfield College announced it is seeking strategic partnerships and philanthropic support from the higher education and corporate communities in order to maintain operations. The college, which was founded in 1868, has enough funds to stay open until the end of the 2021-2022 academic year.

The college is also seeking expanded philanthropic support from foundations and philanthropists. “The Board of Trustees and Bloomfield College’s administration are exploring all options to support our students and remain open in order to continue the college’s core mission. We seek institutions or philanthropists that share the values around our mission and will see us as a valuable partner,” said Vernon M. Endo, chair of the Bloomfield College Board of Trustees.

The colleges mission is to provide educational pathways that are often not otherwise available for minority and low-income students. More than 85% of Bloomfield College students are people of color, nearly 71% are Pell Grant eligible and the median family income is below $32,000. Additionally, Bloomfield College is the only four-year college in New Jersey recognized as a Predominantly Black Institution (PBI), Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), and Minority Serving Institution (MSI).

For fall 2021, total enrollment is 1,300 students. Approximately 91% of students are from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds with 71% of students eligible for federal Pell Grants.

“At Bloomfield College, we change the future for our students, many of whom did not traditionally see college as their future,” said Bloomfield College President Marcheta P. Evans, Ph.D. “More than half of our students are the first in their families to attend college. Most of our students work multiple jobs while studying and face much adversity. Segments of our student population suffer from food insecurity or homelessness, living in our residence halls year-round. Our college strongly supports its students as individuals and gives them pathways not otherwise available to them.”

Bloomfield College is nationally ranked for the impressive social mobility achieved by its graduates. The U.S. News & World Report 2022 Best Colleges listings of Top National Liberal Arts Colleges ranked Bloomfield College the highest in New Jersey for Social Mobility (#27 nationally), Campus Ethnic Diversity (#25 nationally), and Economic Diversity (#1 in the Northeast and #13 nationally) among 223 national liberal arts institutions in the country. The school boasts vibrant fields of study, including nationally recognized undergraduate programs in nursing and creative arts and technology.

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