Lincoln College, an historical Black College and University has announced it will be closing its doors permanently after going through significant financial burdens caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and a December 2021 cyberattack according to NBC News. The predominantly Black institution in Illinois will close after 157 years.

“The economic burdens initiated by the pandemic required large investments in technology and campus safety measures, as well as a significant drop in enrollment with students choosing to postpone college or take a leave of absence, which impacted the institution’s financial position.”

The school has approx. 1,200 enrolled students as of summer 2021 according to CNN. The pandemic directly influenced enrollment, the college explained the cyberattack “thwarted admissions activities and hindered access to all institutional data, creating an unclear picture of Fall 2022 enrollment projections.”

No personal identifying information was exposed during the cyberattack.

During the start of the COVID-19 health crisis in 2020, there was an increased number of cyberattacks against schools, colleges, and universities that are often unprepared to fight off these type of ransomware attacks, where victims’ digital data is encrypted until the victim pays.

Since then thousands of students, faculty, and alumni of Lincoln College have worked to keep the school open. A public Facebook group was opened to share stories and efforts.

“Lincoln College has been serving students from across the globe for more than 157 years,” David Gerlach, president of Lincoln College said. “The loss of history, careers, and a community of students and alumni is immense.”

“Though we are experiencing undeniable grief and sadness, we find comfort in knowing Lincoln College has served generations of alumni who have undoubtedly impacted our world.”

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