Some 63 students displaced by the closure of Birmingham-Southern College last year are poised to graduate this week from Samford University, which made special accommodations for granting course credits and financial assistance to crosstown transfers.

A group of those soon-to-be graduates returned to their former campus Tuesday evening for the traditional ringing of the Birmingham-Southern senior bell.

Samford President Beck A. Taylor praised BSC transfers for their resilience and adaptability during the past year.

“With respect for Birmingham-Southern enjoying a long, rich history in our community, Samford prioritized taking extraordinary efforts to help students with their transfer decisions. This particularly impacted members of a senior class who faced a compressed timetable,” Taylor said. “We don’t always know why God redirects us, but we know He is present and guiding us. Samford is grateful for the lifelong connections formed with these former BSC students, and we hope graduation brings a sense of fulfillment and renewal.”

When Birmingham-Southern closed in May 2024, more than 700 remaining students faced uncertainty. Ultimately, 151 undergraduates transferred to Samford, where administrators sought accreditation waivers from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to help newcomers maintain their degree paths.

As part of a teach-out agreement to assist Birmingham-Southern transfers, Samford pledged to:

• Waive admission application fees and deadlines.
• Provide matching financial aid packages so that the net tuition at Samford was the same or less as students would have paid at Birmingham-Southern.
• Waive the undergraduate degree standard that required students to complete 50% of their credits at Samford.
• Accept all earned credit awarded by Birmingham-Southern, evaluating course-by-course exceptions to keep transfers on a comparable degree path.

“Our No. 1 goal was making this transition as seamless as possible for the students,” said Marci Johns, Samford’s senior associate provost. “Academic advisors and the registrar’s office essentially sorted through many individualized puzzles—a big lift, considering every student arrived with different degree requirements. It all was worth it when we saw the gratitude from Birmingham-Southern students and their parents who one year ago had no idea what was in store for them.”

In advance of commencement ceremonies scheduled for May 1-3, Samford provided Birmingham-Southern transfers with black-and-gold stoles customary of their previous college.

What Birmingham-Southern transfers say about their year at Samford:

“I was disappointed that BSC closed, but I’m glad I got to experience a year at Samford. Even though my major at BSC didn’t technically line up with the pre-law major Samford offers, they made it work and actually put me ahead of schedule. So I’ve been able to add a business minor. Sometimes tragedy leads to good things.” — Langston Strawbridge, senior law/history major from Fayette, Alabama, who is forming a new group for transfer students called Bulldog Bridge

“Samford matched my full scholarship from Birmingham-Southern and even accepted my previous community college credits that BSC hadn’t taken. Instead of needing four semesters to graduate, I’m finishing my degree within a year.” — Reagan Gage, senior English major from Saluda, North Carolina

“A lot of my friends were hoping to stay in Birmingham instead of relocating to a different town for just one more year of college. When Samford came out talking about accepting all our credits and matching tuition, that was amazing. It was a blessing.” — William Penley, senior marketing major from Decatur, Alabama

“We had something difficult happen to us, but we rolled with the punches, because BSC’s mantra is ‘Forward Ever.’ Even though our college closed, we went on to a new opportunity. Samford has shown us so much love, and that's the best you can hope for.” — Jay Raby, senior health science major from Hueytown, Alabama