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An editorial by the staff of the Demopolis Times

The University of West Alabama recently announced that it would offer scholarships to Birmingham-Southern College students who will not be able to complete their degrees by the end of this spring semester.

That’s because the college will be closing May 31 after the college’s board of trustees decided to shutter the liberal arts college due to declining enrollment and other financial hardships that has caused the college to lose money. 

“We are very sorry to learn of the impending closure of Birmingham-Southern College (BSC), and we empathize with the students, faculty, staff, and alumni who are understandably hurt by this change in their lives,” said UWA president Ken Tucker. “We are committed to providing an outlet for BSC’s students, and we want to help them stay on track as they pursue their academic, extracurricular, and career goals.”

This is such a great act of kindness by the university to extend a helping hand to these students who are going to be displaced by the closure of the university. It is impossible to know how many, if any, will take UWA up on the offer. However, there is nothing for UWA to lose and everything to gain by making this offer. 

It is likely that these students may not have considered UWA during their college selection process, but this at least keeps the university in front of them. Maybe they will go there, maybe not. 

The one thing that is for sure is that UWA is going to maybe get another look from maybe siblings, friends or other family members who might consider paying a visit to the area to see what UWA is all about. And if they do, they might consider living in Demopolis or Marengo County and driving up to the campus from here.

We applaud UWA for having the forethought to show kindness to these students. It might not pay off this year, but it could reap bigger rewards down the road.