What should I do If my College is closing? Green Mountain College Ceasing Operations.

Last year, we visited a seminar about the future of small colleges in the United States. The speaker believed that 5 small colleges will close each year due to a lack of enrollment or financial difficulty. The speaker ‘s estimate was absolutely correct. Green Mountain College in Vermont is closing at the end of the current semester. The article published by the website, Higher Ed, mentions the circumstances surrounding the closing and questions the financial oversight that may be needed for colleges in the future.

One of our students recently attended a college that was in great financial difficulty. The school cut tuition and was actually saved by the alumni but for how long? The student asked our advice and decided to transfer to a more stable institution. The financial ranking of the college was recently mentioned as below D grade by a financial magazine. The student reported a large reduction in student services and class offerings. The school is still accepting students but has an enrollment of below 1000 students. All of our student’s credits transferred and the family’s stress levels greatly reduced.

The article also mentions other colleges that are have closed or are facing financial difficulties.

Newbury College, announced in December that it would close at the end of this academic year. And Mount Ida College, located outside Boston, announced in April that it would close. Also last year, Atlantic Union College, also outside Boston, announced that it would close.

The College of St. Joseph, in Vermont, nearly closed last year but said it would try to keep operating. Its goal has been to hit an enrollment of 235.

Colleges in New England are not the only ones facing tough times. Bennett College, a historically black women’s college in North Carolina, is at risk of losing its accreditation, which would likely lead to the college’s closure. Likewise, Hampshire College is questioning whether to accept a Freshman class for the upcoming fall semester.

Many of these colleges are located in New England but could more closures be in the future for other parts of the United States? We think so. Please do your due diligence when selecting a college and ask questions.