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Diving overview:
- Eastern Gateway Community College Closed on October 31st The agency's board of directors voted this week after financial and legal troubles in recent years.
- Last February, the 56-year-old Ohio public institution registration suspension It is open to all students who have completed the spring semester, and the board said Wednesday that classes are scheduled to end on June 30.
- But Ohio officials told Eastern Gateway in March that Progress in funding The commission said the community college received the money on the condition that it offer courses during the summer.
Dive Insights:
Eastern Gateway's problems took root in 2022, when the U.S. Department of Education alleged that the institution's free college plan illegally charged students more Pell Grants than those who did not.
The Last Dollar Program, which provides tuition assistance to unionized students after applying for other financial aid, has been a huge help in enrolling in college.
Before the program began in 2015, Eastern Gateway had 3,182 students in fall 2014, according to federal data. Five years later, the student body has exploded to 25,648, and in fall 2021, community college enrollment hit 45,173.
But the next yearThe Department of Education began requiring Eastern Gateway to pay federal financial aid directly to students before receiving refunds, under a process called Heightened Cash Monitoring 2.. The agency also required colleges to create teaching contracts that would allow students to transfer elsewhere.
Later Eastern Gateway sued the Ministry of Education In September 2022, it claimed the agency failed to provide the university with due process and exceeded its legal authority.
Eastern Gateway ends in August 2023 free college programs As part of negotiations with the department. That fall, enrollment dropped to 15,300 students. business journal.
SeedUniversity officials also dismissed the lawsuit under a tentative agreement. But the damage to the university's viability has already been done.
In voting to close the college Wednesday, board members cited the impact the Department of Education dispute has had on Eastern Gateway's finances.
Funding from the Ohio Department of Higher Education and summer classes is intended to give students time to plan and provide opportunities for graduation for students who are just a few credits short. The previously temporary hold on new registrations is now permanent.
“We are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for all students,” Eastern Gateway Interim President John Crooks said Wednesday.
Eastern Gateway has training agreements with 12 local agencies.According to the board, many more are awaiting approval. The community college's final graduation ceremony is scheduled to be held in August.
Eastern Gateway's board of trustees also approved a resolution to sell the college's Steubenville campus to a local school system. They have not discussed plans for another campus at Eastern Gateway, about 75 miles north of Youngstown.