Guilford College announced that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges removed the institution from probation after trustees and administrators presented evidence of expense reductions, balanced budgets and a surge in philanthropy. President Jean Parvin Bordewich highlighted expense cuts, doubled alumni donor counts in months and $7 million in early unrestricted donations as key to restoring fiscal stability. The college’s recovery included staff and faculty reductions, suspended retirement contributions and divestments that produced one-time revenue; the board declined to declare financial exigency. SACSCOC had placed Guilford on probation in 2023 over weak financial controls and resource concerns. The episode underscores how small private colleges can regain accreditation standing through rapid cost management and fundraising, but it also spotlights the human and programmatic trade-offs institutions make to satisfy accreditor standards.