I wanted to reply to this topic on the thread about Lincoln College in Illinois closing down, but my comment would have been off topic, so I am starting a new thread altogether.

(05-10-2022 06:02 PM)johnintx Wrote:  

(05-10-2022 09:42 AM)billybobby777 Wrote:  If this 150 year old college in central Illinois that had 1200 students in 2021 can’t make it, I wonder how worse off schools in Illinois can?

As discussed on another thread, Lincoln is a unique situation. They were a private junior college from 1929 to 2015. There are very few private junior colleges left. In an attempt to stay open, they added four-year degrees in 2015.

So, with 86 years as a junior college, they were not able to build the alumni base or endowment needed to make it through hard times. When Covid and the cyberattack hit together, they were unable to bounce back.

However, these are indeed tough times for small private colleges. Those with higher endowments, a specific base of support, and a defined niche will be able to survive.

Johnintx, regarding that defined niche, I believe that is partly why Pensacola Christian College has been able to do well all these years. I can tell you right now that back when I was trying to enroll in a college, because I was homeschooled, only one college bothered to recruit me when I graduated: PCC (Pensacola Christian College). My dad wanted me to go to a community college for a year or two, and I actually wanted to go to one as well. However, it was extremely challenging just to try to get into the community college just a 5 minutes drive from my house (Wallace Community College-Dothan). I had to enlist the headmaster of Northside Methodist Academy (well known private school in Dothan where I had a few connections) to help me out just so I could enroll at the community college !!!!

Even though I graduated from the University of Montevallo, a traditional, four-yearstate school, I never forgot PCC (Pensacola Christian College), and promote them when I can, but I can honestly say that they do have a niche.