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The future of Northpoint Bible College, housed at the former Bradford College campus in Haverhill, is uncertain as the institution could lose its accreditation as early as February.
The Association for Biblical Higher Education Commission on Accreditation, issued a “show cause” order in October, requiring the college to show why its accreditation should be continued after a review raised questions about “financial stability” and “adequate institutional resources” to continue teaching.
The news should come as no surprise to regular WHAV listeners. Rev. Tiff Shuttlesworth, president of Northpoint Bible College, acknowledged the school’s difficulties and future hopes last September during a WHAV interview, broadcast live, as the college began its 101st academic year.
“We, like many colleges, suffered decline—we’ve been in decline actually prior to COVID, but our freshmen enrollment this year is up almost 40% and we are moving forward and believing that our best is not behind us. Our best is ahead of us,” he said.
At the time, he noted the school was at “about 100” students.
About a month later, as first reported last week by MassLive, the ABHE Commission on Accreditation, notified the college “the institution fails to comply with the ABHE Institutional Accreditation Standards.” According to the letter, “A Show Cause Order is a negative, public action indicating that an institution’s accredited or candidate status will be withdrawn unless it can provide persuasive evidence that such action should not be taken.”
The Commission, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a specialized institutional accrediting agency, plans to meet in February and asked that college representatives attend. An Accreditation Fact Sheet issued by the Commission notes Northpoint Bible College was given a warning June 15, 2023 and placed on probation Sept. 23, 2024.
The college can operate without accreditation, but could become ineligible for federal financial aid and degrees may not be accepted by employers or graduate programs. The college has submitted a “Teach Out Plan,” which is designed to help current students continue their education at another school.
During the September interview, Shuttlesworth told WHAV listeners about the difficulties the school has faced in maintaining such buildings as Denworth Hall, which once housed Bradford College’s auditorium, art studios and theater. He said he sought financial help by calling former West Virginia Sen Joe Manchin, whom he described as “a friend of our family.” He noted Manchin put him in touch with Maine Sen. Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“I’m shaking every bush and doing every thing in my power under our leadership to try to beautify that campus, restore buildings and make it what it ought to be,’ he said.
He noted the company Hobby Lobby purchased and helped pay for renovations for part of the former Bradford College in 2007 to be used by what was then known as Zion Bible College. Shuttlesworth said Hobby Lobby is “no longer with the school.”
As WHAV reported at the time, Haverhill city councilors expressed concern about the future of Denworth Hall in 2019.
In 2024, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education said it “cannot confirm that Northpoint Bible College has sufficient resources to sustain operations at current levels and substantially fulfill its obligations to enrolled and admitted students for both the current and the subsequent academic year.”
The U.S. Department of Education reports the school has 89 undergraduate students with 74% of students attending full time and 26% part time. The federal agency also noted the school is “Under ED Monitoring,” described as “additional oversight because of financial or federal compliance issues, including but not limited to, concern around the school’s administrative capabilities, concern around a schools’ financial responsibility and possibly severe findings uncovered during a program review.”