DALLAS (June 25, 2009)--Nineteen years to the day after Paul Quinn College officials voted to move the historically black institution from Waco to Dallas, the college is losing the accreditation it earned in 1972.

The college’s board voted on June 25, 1990 to make the move.

Belle Wheelan, president of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, cited the private liberal arts school's debt, a lack of funding, planning, assessment and student learning outcomes as reasons for the loss of accreditation, without which colleges cannot award diplomas in Texas.

Students at unaccredited school's students can't receive federal or state financial aid.

Paul Quinn, which has about 440 students, was on probation.

Wheelan told The Dallas Morning News that Paul Quinn President Michael Sorrell has made great strides but it was not enough.

The college can appeal the decision.

According to the school’s Web site, Paul Quinn won full accreditation in 1972 during the tenure of Dr. Stanley Rutland, who was named president of the college in 1969.

A small group of African Methodist-Episcopal preachers founded Paul Quinn on April 4, 1872 in Austin.

Five years later Paul Quinn moved to Waco, where it remained until 1990, when officials decided to move to the former Bishop College campus in Dallas.

At that time, Paul Quinn had an enrollment of more than 1,000 students.

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