The state board of higher education is considering adopting a stress test to check if colleges are in danger of closing within 18 months.
However, if a college becomes known to be in danger of closing, the knowledge of that could accelerate its closing if potential students avoid it.
Massachusetts is taking these steps because of the drama following the abrupt closure of Mount Ida College last year. Newbury College is set to close this year and Hampshire College signaled it may not enroll a freshman class in September. The predictions about the closure of private colleges has come to MA with more force than other places because it had so many colleges to begin with. The stress test idea is a good one because applicants need to know that a college will be open 4 years later when they seek to graduate. But prospective matriculants need to do their own homework before enrolling anywhere by checking out a school’s debt load, assets, endowment and enrollment history to ensure they are going somewhere that is financially sound, which nowadays is as important as selecting a school for academic strength and programs.