Colleges in US lure stranded students with 50% off tuition, free dorms

When University of the Arts in Philadelphia abruptly announced last week it would close, the surprise move unleashed a frenzy of other colleges rushing in to nab the suddenly orphaned students.

Roughly a dozen schools posted their pitches to UArts students on social media, boasting incentives that ranged from automatic admissions to steep discounts on tuition and dorms.

Ursinus College, a private school with 1,500 students in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, is offering a 50% discount on its roughly $60,000 tuition to UArts students.

So is Drexel University, a larger institution about two miles away from the shuttering campus in Philadelphia. Point Park University, located in downtown Pittsburgh, offered a semester of free housing for as many as 75 students.

A spokesperson for La Salle University — which has been experiencing its own challenges — said there is no limit to the number of students the school can matriculate. And The College of New Jersey extended its application deadline and waived fees.

The economics of higher education mean that one school’s closure can boost much needed headcount at a competitor. 

For a small college that’s seen enrollment dwindle or stagnate, even the addition of a few tuition-paying students can have an impact. 

This year has been especially difficult for higher education administrators after issues with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, muddled how many freshman will come to campuses in the fall.

UArts was lambasted online for the lack of warning it gave to students and staff about its deteriorating finances. 

The school put out a release on May 31 that it would be closing seven days later. 

That unusually swift pace led to a class-action lawsuit by employees who allege the school violated a state employment law requiring a written notice at least 60 days before a mass layoff.

The decision also left current students — as well as those expected to start in the fall — scrambling.

Sarah MacLeod, who would have started her junior year after summer break as a fine arts major, said students were stripped of the opportunity to say goodbye to their classmates and campus.

UArts isn’t alone. A bevy of colleges have announced closures this year as rising expenses and fewer students pinch bottom lines. 

The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in January announced it would wind down its degree-granting programs. At the time, it said University of the Arts was an option for some students to transfer to.

Source : https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/study/colleges-in-us-lure-stranded-students-with-50-off-tuition-free-dorms/articleshow/112373539.cms