Wedding & Event Venue near Gaffney, SC

GAFFNEY, S.C. —

Limestone University in Gaffney, South Carolina, made a major announcement Wednesday:

The school announced the following:

"After 179 years educating students in person, Limestone University is facing a critical turning point which may require transitioning to online only classes or at worst ceasing operations completely.

"Limestone currently offers both in-person and online classes. Limestone University’s Board of Trustees has announced that, absent the University obtaining immediate financial support in the amount of $6 million, the institution will need to move to a fully online model, or, possibly, to begin the process of ceasing operations. In light of the serious financial outlook, the Board will convene on April 22, 2025, to discuss the next steps for the historic institution.

'Limestone remains committed to our students and we will work directly with current students to help them identify the best path to successfully complete their educational journey,' said Randall Richardson, Chair of the Limestone University Board of Trustees. 'We are reaching out separately to students with information regarding options to continue their education.'

"While full closure remains a risk, the institution is considering a scenario that would discontinue all in-person academic operations and all other activities, including athletics, in Gaffney. The fully online model would effectively end the traditional college campus experience."

"The Board’s priority is to preserve the Limestone mission of education and service on our campus in addition to online. But without this financial lifeline, we will have no choice but to move all operations online, which means closing our physical campus,' said Richardson. The 179-year-old institution aims to maintain online degree programs. The online portion of the institution has seen strong growth and could support long-term stability.

"Limestone University has long been a vital institution in South Carolina and the greater region, blending academic excellence with personal attention and a rich campus life. The institution has a $150 million annual economic impact on Cherokee County and this potential shift to online-only instruction threatens not only the campus experience, but local jobs and the cultural presence Limestone has provided for nearly two centuries.

"The university’s financial challenges stem from a combination of nationwide enrollment declines, rising costs, and long-standing structural pressures facing small, private institutions. The proposed $6 million emergency fund will stabilize operations and give the university the opportunity to pursue long-term solutions that preserve its on-campus identity."

For the reaction of Cherokee County officials, click here.

Cherokee County officials react as closure looms over historic Limestone University

Limestone is an accredited, independent, non-denominational Christian university. The school's website said it was founded on liberal arts principles in 1845 and offers associate, undergraduate, and master’s degree programs on-campus and through its innovative online program that reaches across the globe.

Dr. Nathan B. Copeland began serving as the 24th President of Limestone University in May of 2024.

Limestone University president resigns; school names acting president, officials say

The announcement Wednesday afternoon said the university needs $6 million in immediate financial support to stabilize.

GAFFNEY, S.C. — A small university in the upstate of South Carolina said it needs immediate financial support as it faces the possibility of permanently closing soon.

Limestone University, a non-denominational Christian campus in the town of Gaffney, shared the announcement online on Wednesday. The university said the announcement came from its board of trustees and that it needed $6 million to stabilize operations and maintain its campus presence. Without it, Limestone said it could pivot to online-only classes or, possibly, begin looking at fully closing down. The board is set to convene on Tuesday, April 22, to discuss next steps.

“Limestone remains committed to our students and we will work directly with current students to help them identify the best path to successfully complete their educational journey,” said Randall Richardson, Chair of the Limestone University Board of Trustees, in a statement. “We are reaching out separately to students with information regarding options to continue their education.”

“The Board’s priority is to preserve the Limestone mission of education and service on our campus in addition to online. But without this financial lifeline, we will have no choice but to move all operations online, which means closing our physical campus,” Richardson continued.

Limestone notes it has seen strong growth with online coursework and that could help sustain the university.

The announcement claims Limestone's challenges "stem from a combination of nationwide enrollment declines, rising costs, and long-standing structural pressures facing small, private institutions."

Reporting from Anna Mitchell with the Post and Courier newspaper, however, suggests that the financial issues Limestone faces go beyond just what those cited challenges present. Mitchell reports that university president Nathan Copeland reportedly told students and staff during meetings with students and staff Wednesday that unless the $6 million is raised or gifted, the campus would be sold and roughly 300 employees would lose their jobs. Copeland also said the school is $30 million in debt and won't get a cash infusion until September.

Mitchell also notes Limestone faced a series of federal lawsuits over allegations that a former employee secretly recorded female student-athletes in a locker room and posted the videos to porn websites. While some lawsuits were settled, Mitchell reports another one with nine plaintiffs is set to go to trial in October 2025. Copeland told the Post and Courier the lawsuits were only a small piece of the university's overall financial picture.

University tax documents shared by nonprofit news outlet ProPublica in its Nonprofit Explorer tool found that Limestone operated on a deficit of roughly $12.6 million in the 2022-2023 tax year while also receiving about $9 million less in donations and grants than from 2021. Mitchell's report Thursday also noted the university endowment went down from $31.5 million in July 2021 to $12.7 million in June 2023.

Copeland also told the Post and Courier the mix of students paying full tuition versus those on heavy scholarship is part of the issue, along with the previous administration dipping too much into Limestone's endowment to balance budgets.

Limestone noted in its press release it contributes roughly $150 million in economic impact annually to the small town of Gaffney and Cherokee County. Town mayor Lyman Dawkins III, an alum of Limestone, shared his thoughts in a Facebook post.

"The economic impact will be substantial. Limestone has provided countless jobs, brought in students and families who supported local businesses and served as a catalyst for growth. In our current efforts to revitalize downtown Gaffney, Limestone students have played a vital role. Their energy, involvement, and contributions have breathed life into our city and helped us build momentum for the future," part of his post read.

The news of Limestone University's potential closure is devastating and would be a significant blow to our community....

Posted by Lyman Dawkins III on Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Limestone, which was founded in 1845, said a move to a fully online model would mean ending all in-person operations and activities, including its athletic program. Limestone's athletics teams compete in the NCAA Division II Southern Atlantic Conference. Copeland also told the Post and Courier it can continue as a public school chartering organization through its Limestone Charter Association if it continues as an online university, still sponsoring its 13 K-12 public charter schools.

WCNC Charlotte has reached out to Limestone for more information, including how this could impact current students and upcoming graduates along with student athletes. A university spokesperson replied with an exact copy of the news release posted online and promised that a series of questions WCNC Charlotte had sent in had been forwarded to the president's office.

We've also reached out to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which provides Limestone with its academic accreditation, to see how this could impact the university's standing immediately and if Limestone had faced any investigative action prior to this announcement.

WCNC Charlotte has also reached out to the NCAA to see what support could be offered to student-athletes impacted by the announcement and possible closures of Limestone. Copeland, the university president, told the Post and Courier the university has opened the transfer portal to help student-athletes start the transfer process immediately.

Limestone University is located in Gaffney, South Carolina, which is roughly 54 miles southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina.

For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts that impact you from WCNC Charlotte, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app and enable push notifications.

Limestone University will close its campus at the end of the semester, college officials informed students and staff on April 16.

Limestone spokesperson K.C. Barnhill said the school will end in-person classes at the end of spring semester, affecting about 1,000 students. Also ending are Limestone athletics, but the school will continue to offer online classes and will continue as a charter school authorizer.

The Post and Courier’s Education Lab focuses on issues and policies affecting South Carolina’s education system. It is supported by donations and grants to the nonprofit Public Service and Investigative Fund, whose contributors are subject to the same coverage we apply to everyone else. For more information and to donate, go to postandcourierfund.com.

The campus will be sold, and about 300 employees working at the university will lose their jobs, said Nathan Copeland, Limestone president.

Recently elected Gaffney Mayor Lyman Dawkins — himself a graduate of Limestone — called news of the closure "devastating."

"They've been around through the Civil War, the Great Depression and all the other tough times," Dawkins said. "It's hard to see them close the doors at this point."

School officials estimate the annual economic impact of the school to be $150 million for the surrounding community. In addition to being one of the larger employers in the city, Limestone's students buy supplies, meals and housing.

Copeland said the school is $30 million in debt and wouldn't get an infusion of cash from tuition until September, making its continued operation unviable.

The announcement came at a pair of abruptly organized campus-wide meetings after years of financial struggles, weighed down in part by a series of federal lawsuits over allegations a former employee secretly filmed visiting female student-athletes in the locker room, then posted the videos to porn websites.

While some lawsuits have been settled, one with nine plaintiffs is scheduled to go to trial in October.

Copeland told The Post and Courier that those lawsuits were just a small piece of the overall financial picture.

He attributed the unsustainable financial situation to the mix of students paying full tuition and those on scholarship, as well as the previous administration dipping too much into the school's endowment to balance budgets.

Because the school will be continuing as an online institution of higher education, its Limestone Charter Association will continue to be able to sponsor its 13 K-12 public charter schools, Copeland said.

The latest available tax filing, Limestone's Form 990 for 2022-23, showed expenses were $12.6 million more than revenue that year, and the endowment plunged from $31.5 million on July 1, 2021, to $12.7 million on June 30, 2023.

Copeland, who took the reins as university president last year, had plans that could have sustained the school, but there was not enough time, Charles Wyatt, vice president for communications, told The Post and Courier.

“We ran out of runway. … If we just could have made it until September,” Wyatt said.

If a white knight were to come forward with a $6 million donation, Wyatt said, the school could stay open.

He said Limestone is working to help students by opening the transfer portal so the school's student-athletes can begin the transfer process immediately.

Cameron Wells, a music major who transferred to Limestone from Coastal Carolina, was shocked to learn the campus would soon close.

"We were just getting things popping," he said.

Matthew Hensley contributed to this report.

GAFFNEY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Limestone University announced on Wednesday that it is at a critical financial crossroads that could have significant impacts on the university’s future.

Limestone’s Board of Trustees said without $6 million in financial support, the institution will need to move to a fully-online model or begin the process of shutting down entirely. The university said it is facing challenges from a combination of enrollment declines, rising costs, and “long-standing structural pressures facing small, private institutions.”

“Limestone remains committed to our students and we will work directly with current students to help them identify the best path to successfully complete their educational journey,” said Randall Richardson, Chair of the Limestone University Board of Trustees. “We are reaching out separately to students with information regarding options to continue their education.”

More than 1,600 students are enrolled at Limestone University. The board will meet on April 22 to discuss next steps for the university.

A switch to an online-only model would discontinue all in-person operations and activities, including athletics. The university president said that without funding, the campus will close at the end of the spring semester and the staff will face layoffs.

Limestone said the $6 million is needed for an emergency fund to “stabilize operations and give the university the opportunity to pursue long-term solutions that preserve its on-campus identity.”

The first women’s college in South Carolina, Limestone was founded in 1845 by Baptist minister Dr. Thomas Curtis. Men were admitted as daytime commuting students in the early 1900s.

The non-denominational Christian college officially changed its name to Limestone University in 2020.

The university said it has an estimated $150 million annual economic impact on Cherokee County.

Gaffney Mayor Lyman Dawkins III released the following statement on the announcement:

“The news of Limestone University’s potential closure is devastating and would be a significant blow to our community. For nearly 180 years, Limestone has served as a cornerstone of our city educationally, economically, and culturally. Founded in 1845, It has withstood the tests of time, surviving the Civil War, the Great Depression, and many national hardships while remaining a steadfast beacon of opportunity and hope. The economic impact will be substantial. Limestone has provided countless jobs, brought in students and families who supported local businesses and served as a catalyst for growth. In our current efforts to revitalize downtown Gaffney, Limestone students have played a vital role. Their energy, involvement, and contributions have breathed life into our city and helped us build momentum for the future. The psychological and emotional toll will be equally profound. Limestone has been a point of pride, tradition, and inspiration for our residents. It has opened doors for countless local students and families. Many of them were first-generation college students and helped shape dreams into realities. As a proud alumni, I will forever love and honor Limestone University.”

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Days after buying a Powerball ticket, an Upstate woman was on her lunch break when she went to the convenience store where she purchased the game to see if she’d won a prize, according to South Carolina Education Lottery officials.

She had a clerk scan the ticket and learned the Powerball ticket was a winner, but wasn’t told anything about the size of the jackpot, other than it was more than the $500 the Gaffney store could pay, officials said Tuesday in a news release.

So she told her boss she was taking the rest of the day off from work and was making the 100-mile trek to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center in Columbia to find out just how much she had won, according to the release.

It turned out to be worth her time as the woman discovered she had won a $150,000 prize from a Powerball drawing in February, officials said.

“It felt like a dream,” the winner said in the release.

While hard to believe, it wasn’t a total shock as the woman had a notion that she might have won a six-figure prize while en route to Columbia, officials said.

On the way to South Carolina’s capital city, she spoke with family and friends who told her they heard a ticket sold in Gaffney had won $150,000, according to the release. Of course, she wondered if it was hers, officials said.

“When I arrived with the ticket, I was so excited and nervous,” she said.

Lottery staff at the claims center confirmed she was the $150,000 winner, according to the release.

The Powerball ticket that she purchased at the Corner Store gas station/convenience store on Hyatt Street matched all but one number drawn on Feb. 5, officials said.

The winning numbers in the Feb. 5 drawing were 19, 27, 30, 50, 62 and Powerball: 14.

Because she purchased the Power Play option for an additional dollar, her initial $50,000 prize was tripled the Power Play number was revealed to be 3, officials said.

The odds of matching four white ball numbers and the red Powerball number were 1-in-913,129, according to the release.

The winner said she’s going to use her newfound windfall to do something she never thought she could afford, officials said.

“I’m buying a house,” she said.

The winner is allowed to retain some privacy, as South Carolina is one of 11 states — along with Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas and Virginia — that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.

For selling the claimed ticket, the Corner Store received a commission of $1,500, according to the release.

The jackpot for Wednesday’s Powerball drawing is $113 million, according to the game’s website.

Anyone looking to buy a ticket must make a purchase by 9:59 p.m. Wednesday for the 10:59 p.m. drawing. Tickets are $2, and could cost more with additional options.

The odds of winning Powerball’s grand prize are 1-in-293 million.

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This story was originally published April 15, 2025 at 2:02 PM.