Messiah University in Mechanicsburg is welcoming transfer students after the University of Valley Forge announced it will close following the summer session, giving students about three weeks to decide where to go.
Abigail DellaVecchio / WITF
Messiah University to accept transfer students after University of Valley Forge closure
The Mechanicsburg university is one of three recommended transfer partners after Valley Forge announced it will shutter.
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Katie Knol/WITF
Abigail DellaVecchio / WITF
Messiah University in Mechanicsburg is welcoming transfer students after the University of Valley Forge announced it will close following the summer session, giving students about three weeks to decide where to go.
Messiah University in Mechanicsburg is welcoming transfer students after the University of Valley Forge announced it will close following the summer session, giving students about three weeks to decide where to go.
The Christian university is one of three schools recommended as transfer partners for students of the University of Valley Forge, a Christian school in Chester County. The others are Eastern University in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and Southeastern University in Florida.
In a statement posted on the university’s website, the board of trustees announced this week that it is suspending academic operations after the summer semester because of financial challenges and concerns about its accreditation.
“After careful assessment of the University’s financial realities, the Board concluded that it could not continue academic operations responsibly beyond the Summer 2026 semester,” the letter stated.
The board apologized to the university’s approximately 600 students, saying the announcement disrupts their lives, academic plans and sense of stability.
The University of Valley Forge planned to charge about $41,000 for tuition, housing and food and other costs for this upcoming school year. Tuition and other fees is $58,776 for the upcoming school year at Messiah University, though the university’s website states it will match “net tuition costs” for the transferring students.
Messiah University’s website now includes a statement welcoming UVF students.
“As one of University of Valley Forge’s selected transitional partner schools, we are dedicated to providing UVF students with a smooth transfer pathway,” it stated.
The closure reflects broader challenges facing private nonprofit colleges across the country. A recent study found that about a quarter are at risk of closure or merger within the next 10 years, according to NPR. These institutions have about 670,000 students combined.
Many colleges are struggling with declining enrollment, rising costs and struggling endowments. The enrollment decrease is, at least partially, because of a dropping birthrate starting around the Great Recession. There are 2.3 million fewer students than there were in 2010, and the drop will continue through at least 2041.
Fewer high school graduates are enrolling in college, and reduced international student enrollment has also strained tuition revenue.
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