Newbury College to close after Spring 2019 semester

Newbury College has announced it will be closing its doors at the end of the Spring 2019 semester. The liberal arts college, who opened its doors in 1962, is closing due to financial issues.

The news of the closure was announced on Newbury College’s website by its President Joseph Chillo on Friday.

Newbury College is the second college to announce it will shut down following Mount Ida College’s recent closure in May.

“The Board of Trustees and I have concluded that it is in the best interests of our students, prospective students, faculty and staff to notify them immediately, so they can make the best decisions for their future,” Chillo shared.

Chillo added: “Accordingly, we are providing this notice, before we are legally required to do so, because it is the right thing to do.”

Gov. Charlie Baker also weighed in on Newbury College’s upcoming plans to close next year.

“I appreciate the fact that Newbury College has been pretty active in their discussions with people at the Board of Higher Education on the challenges they face and that they are trying, I believe, in good faith, to make this announcement early enough so that existing students and prospective students have options and possibilities with respect to the decisions they make, and to give faculty and staff time to plan as well,” Gov. Charlie Baker said on Friday following the announcement.

The future of Newbury College students

Following the news of its upcoming closing, Newbury College is currently working with the Board of Higher Education and its current students to help them explore and transition to new colleges and universities.

Newbury College has a current enrollment of roughly 600 students with an annual tuition of $34,000.