Cheers and screams erupted from inside the Annie Merner Pfieffer Chapel on Bennett College's campus after President Phyllis Worthy Dawkins announced Monday that the school raised $8.2 million in its "Stand with Bennett" fundraising campaign.
School officials are appealing the decision of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to revoke their accreditation based off their finances.
In December, Bennett College announced it needed $5 million to show SACS it is financially stable.
The all-women's historically black college continued to receive money over the weekend in hopes of reaching its initial goal.
In all, 11,000 people donated to the campaign. Dawkins gave examples of some of the people who gave, like the man who walked into the business office on campus and gave $20 and the students at the Erwin Montessori school in Greensboro gave $72 in quarters.
Dawkins said it was important that people gave from the heart.
"We appreciate each and every gift that we were given, no matter how small or how large," she said. "What matters most is that every dollar goes towards our goal."
High Point University pledged $1 milion to Bennett College as part of the effort.
High Point University president Nido Qubein said none of this is about the money.
"This is about the future of tens of thousands of young women who will enter the hallowed hallways of this university, this college to learn and will exit the hallowed hallways to serve the world," he said.
Bennett will meet with the accrediting agency later this month.
