Other schools reach out to students at Mount Ida
At least three schools are making a play for students of Mount Ida College in Newton, which is closing next month.
Regis College, a Catholic university in Weston, said in a statement that it’s exploring acquiring Mount Ida’s veterinary tech and dental hygiene programs and advised current or incoming freshmen in either program to stand by for more information soon.
For all other Mount Ida students, Regis has assigned a liaison, Assistant Director of Admission Alex Patturelli, to help with questions about transferring or applying to Regis.
“We are committed to offering an expedited application process and fee waivers to all Mount Ida students in good academic standing,” the school said.
Curry College in Milton is offering expedited admission decisions and accelerated transfer credit review, personalized financial aid awarding and counseling, and the potential for customized campus housing.
Its admission and student financial services offices will be open for extended hours this month, from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesdays to Thursdays.
New Hampshire’s Keene State College, about 85 miles from Newton, meanwhile, is inviting Mount Ida students to visit campus on Saturday, apply for admission and get an on-the-spot decision.
Under a deal announced last Friday, Mount Ida announced that the private liberal arts college’s 74acre campus will become part of the University of Massachusetts, which in exchange will take on the school’s estimated $55 million to $70 million debt.
Mount Ida’s 1,450 students will automatically be accepted for fall enrollment at U-Mass Dartmouth — more than 50 miles away — and given a path to finish their degrees there.
But some majors, such as the school’s funeral service program, aren’t offered at U-Mass Dartmouth, leaving students in those programs feeling stranded.