NORMAL, Ala. (WHNT) — Alabama A&M University confirmed to News 19 Monday it is working toward extending an offer to purchase Birmingham-Southern College (BSC), which will be closing at the end of May.

After years of financial trouble for BSC and not receiving assistance from the state legislature, the college’s Board of Trustees made the decision to close during a meeting in March.

Now, an AAMU spokesperson says it is doing its ‘due diligence’ and working towards extending an offer to purchase BSC, making it “a stand-alone, independent campus under the AAMU umbrella.”

If the offer is accepted and Alabama A&M has an independent campus there, it would become the first public historically black college or university in the Birmingham area. Miles College a private HBCU is located in Birmingham.

News 19 reached out to Birmingham Southern College for comment on AAMU’s plans and received the following statement from Virginia Loftin, BSC’s Vice President for Advancement and Communication.

“Birmingham-Southern College is having conversations with several interested parties about the sale of the campus.”

Approximately 700 students were enrolled at BSC in the Spring 2024 semester, News 19’s sister station CBS42 reported.

The announcement BSC would be closing came over a year after college officials admitted the institution was $38 million in debt.