Is Your College About to Close? - Commentary

Robert Kelchen, professor and head of the department of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, writes:  It is no secret that much of the American higher-education system is facing considerable financial challenges. Fewer high-school graduates and older students are enrolling in college, operating costs are rising faster than tuition revenue, and students are increasingly drawn to a small number of flagship public universities and wealthy private colleges. This leaves the vast majority of colleges fighting over a dwindling pool of potential students who generate less revenue. Along with the expiration of federal pandemic-relief funds, these forces have resulted in an increase in the number of colleges closing over the last two years.