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Explore Degrees

Jeremy Wright-Kim speaks with The Hill about options available to students when a college abruptly closes 

December 11, 2023

Although hundreds of post-secondary institutions close every year, data on whether students from those schools finish their degrees is scarce.

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According to U.S. Department of Education data, hundreds of post-secondary schools close or merge with another institution every year, reports The Hill. Most of the colleges that close are two-year for-profit institutions. But what happens to the students who were enrolled?

Typically, students have two options: they can re-enroll at another institution, although some or all of their credits may not transfer. Alternatively, they can apply for a closed school discharge from the U.S. Department of Education.

Citing a 2022 study from the State Higher Education Executive Office Association (SHEEO), The Hill notes that about 47 percent of students who experienced a closure between 2004 and 2020 continued their enrollment at another institution post-closure. Out of those students who did re-enroll, nearly 30 percent did so within a month of their school closing.

Marsal School Assistant Professor Jeremy Wright-Kim says that even though there might be opportunities to continue a degree at a neighboring school, a school closure has the potential to impact student preferences.  

“It’s a matter of can they go to an institution that will honor a large portion of their credits … versus do they want to,”says Wright-Kim. “When we are saying here’s an option for you or multiple options for you, we need to recognize that those are preferable options for the students.”

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Assistant Professor, Marsal Family School of Education