Alumni and supporters of Birmingham-Southern College have until April 30 to display their school pride through a BSC car tag.

From The Hilltop, the April edition of the alumni newsletter, included an article titled Driving BSC Forward.

“We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who has shown their support for Birmingham-Southern College by purchasing our specialty car tags,” the article read. “Your contributions to the Driven to Succeed scholarship for Alabama residents have made a significant impact on the lives of deserving students.

“Each purchase of the BSC specialty license plate not only showcases your pride in our institution, but also serves as a charitable contribution, with $48.75 directly benefiting the college.”

The newsletter said the last day to renew or purchase these plates is Tuesday, April 30, 2024.

Virginia Gilbert Loftin, the school’s vice president for advancement and communications, said the purchase of BSC car tags has been impactful.

“Over the last five years, sales of an estimated 5,800 BSC license plates have brought more than $262,000 to the college,” she said. “These funds have been directed to our Driven to Succeed Scholarship, which has supported BSC students from Alabama who have financial need.”

The signature BSC license plates will likely meet the same fate as the tags of now closed Judson College. Helen Hays, spokesperson for Jefferson County, said the State of Alabama will likely discontinue the tag.

“When Judson closed, the Alabama Department of Revenue issued a memo discontinuing the license plate and ordered it not to be issued going forward,” Hays told BirminghamWatch. “Everyone that already renewed prior to the discontinuance kept the plate until the next year.

“When their renewal the next year rolled around, they had to select another plate,” Hays said of Judson plate owners. “Everyone that renewed in any month after the discontinuance of the plate was required to choose another type of license plate and anyone that tried to select a Judson plate was denied.”

Jefferson County inventoried Judson plates and provided the counts to the state. The county spokeswoman said the county sent those discontinued plates to the Bessemer warehouse with the plates that were retired because they were redesigned and pulled from issuance.

“We store those for audit purposes until the state picks them up,” Hays said. “Scott (Moore, director of the Department of Revenue) looked at our ledgers. Judson’s plate was discontinued on June 1, 2021. They received funds for May 2021, but none for June, and they were removed completely from the state report in July.”

While the BSC tag can no longer be used as proof of automobile registration, owners can keep them as keepsakes of the school.