Clinton College, an HBCU in Rock Hill, South Carolina, is reporting severe cash flow shortages as employees continue waiting for full pay and answers about medical coverage.
The Rock Hill Herald reported that emails from Clinton College President Pamela Richardson Wilks to faculty and staff show the school has been dealing with funding lapses and delayed reimbursements. The financial issues have affected the college’s 86 employees and faculty members.
The update comes after WSOC-TV reported that Clinton College employees said they had not been fully paid for May. The college previously acknowledged financial challenges but did not explain the full cause or provide a clear timeline for when employees would be made whole.
According to The Herald, Clinton College employees have dealt with an irregular pay schedule for nearly two months. The school informed faculty and staff on April 24 that paychecks would be delayed. Employees are usually paid on the final business day of the month.
Wilks later told employees that April pay would be split into two installments in May. In one email, she described the situation as a “serious cash flow problem.”
Clinton College payroll issue deepens for HBCU employees
The pay issues continued into June.
According to The Herald, Wilks emailed employees on June 4 and said Clinton College could only pay $1,000 per employee toward May payroll. It is unclear whether employees have received the rest of their May pay.
WSOC-TV previously interviewed former Clinton College marketing communications coordinator Dishon Cobbins, who said the situation forced him to leave the HBCU and find another job.
“You can’t just keep people working and you don’t have money to pay them,” Cobbins told WSOC.
The Herald also reported that Clinton College’s chief financial officer told employees on June 6 that the school’s medical insurance coverage was temporarily inactive. The email said the school would not be able to process claims after May 25.
A Clinton College official told The Herald that the school is working with funding partners to receive outstanding reimbursements and grants. The college declined to identify who owes the school money or how much it expects to receive.
Pay, benefits issues reportedly
A former Clinton College employee who worked at the school under a previous administration told HBCU Gameday that payroll issues were a concern before the current situation.
The former employee said staff members were given paper checks and told to cash or deposit them quickly.
“When we got paid, they gave us checks and told us to go to Wells Fargo and cash or deposit ASAP,” the former employee told HBCU Gameday. “Everyone would leave and go to the bank soon as they got a paper check.”
The former employee said one of their first checks bounced because they did not know to deposit it immediately. They also said their benefits were cut off while they were on medical leave.
The account has not been independently confirmed by Clinton College. But it adds to questions about whether the current payroll and benefits issues are isolated or part of a deeper financial problem at the HBCU.
Clinton College seeking fundraising help amid HBCU financial strain
Clinton College also told The Herald it is working on a five-year fundraising plan. The school said it will seek support from alumni, religious organizations and corporate partners to address short- and long-term needs.
The college has not said how much money it needs to raise. It also has not specified when payroll issues will be resolved or when medical coverage will be active again.
Clinton College was founded in 1894 by the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. The private HBCU is one of two colleges in the United States affiliated with the denomination, along with Livingstone College.
The situation now leaves Clinton College facing urgent questions from employees, alumni and the broader HBCU community about payroll, benefits and the school’s financial future.