The Appalachian School of Law’s ledger forecasted a troubling financial future. As if low enrollment numbers and the Trump administration’s capping of graduate school funding weren’t enough of a hurdle, the school mathed out that they’d need millions of dollars if they planned on surviving long term in Buchanan County, Virginia. They entertained the idea of merging with Roanoke College to meet their financial needs, but doing so would mean moving the campus three hours away. The merger would allow them to keep doors open, but it would also betray one of the school’s founding purposes — prepare locals to meet the legal needs of their community. The school still needs to figure out how they can afford to operate, but a recent pool of funding will give them some breathing room for a while. Cardinal News has coverage:
The Buchanan County Board of Supervisors and the Buchanan County Industrial Development Authority plan to grant up to $6 million to the Appalachian School of Law to get it through a short-term financial crisis.
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Following comments from more than 20 people at a public hearing Monday, the board voted 6-1 to form a committee with representatives from the board of supervisors, IDA and law school to draw up a contract for the additional funding. The agreement is expected to be signed at a joint meeting on Feb. 10.
Gotta spend money to make money!
Whatever long-term strategy the school takes on will have to focus on increasing student enrollment. They’re currently at ~180 of the 300 students they could be teaching — that’s a lot of money not going to the school’s coffers.
Buchanan County To Provide Short-Term Funding For Appalachian School Of Law [Cardinal News]
Earlier: Regional Law School Explores Long-Distance Merger
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s . He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who is learning to swim, is interested in critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.
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