Trinity Christian Academy outside Chicago will close at the end of the 2025-26 school year due to insurmountable financial pressures.
The college announced the move Tuesday, citing a list of challenges including “post-COVID-19 financial losses, ongoing operating deficits, declining college enrollment and increased competition for students, as well as changes in donor giving and financial conditions,” according to an official statement posted on its FAQ webpage.
Acting Dean Jeanine Mozie said in a video message that the board considered a variety of options to address “significant and rapidly evolving financial challenges” but ultimately “there is no sustainable path forward for our beloved institution.”
The FAQ page states that the Board of Trustees considered “significant program changes, strategic partnerships, and more,” but “determined that these and other alternatives were insufficient to overcome the College’s deficit” and sustain Trinity’s mission long-term.
The announcement of the closure follows recent leadership changes at the college. Former president Aaron Kuecker resigned in August after less than two years in the top job but nearly 14 years at Trinity. Several other employees were reportedly laid off in August.
A review of the college’s finances shows Trinity has been in the red in eight of the past 10 financial years and is heavily reliant on a handful of donors. According to Trinity’s latest audit, 76% of all financial contributions are expected to come from just three donors by 2024.
Sany also has less and less cash on hand. According to the audit, “cash and cash equivalents” fell to nearly $5 million from nearly $7.2 million in fiscal 2023, a drop of nearly 31%. Trinity’s endowment is also modest, valued at $11 million at the end of fiscal 2024. (A recent study found that the median donation across the industry was $243 million.)
Bondholders warned the college in June that Trinity was at risk of breaching financial covenants due to limited liquidity, according to public documents.
Bond documents show faculty and student numbers have declined in recent years. Both numbers have declined in recent years, with total faculty and staff falling from 145 to 126 and total enrollment falling from 1,068 in fall 2019 to 872 last year, despite recent tuition adjustments to attract students. Financial documents show Trinity aims to attract 1,081 students by the 2027-28 academic year.
Founded in 1959 by Chicago businessmen, Trinity College is located on a 56-acre campus in Palos Heights, Illinois, outside Chicago, which was recently estimated to be worth $25 million.
College officials announced teaching and transfer agreements with Calvin University in Michigan and Olivet Nazarene University and St. Xavier University in Illinois.
Trinity follows several other small, cash-strapped Christian colleges that have announced closures this year, some of which have closed abruptly, such as Limestone University and the University of St. Andrews. Siena Heights University, a Roman Catholic institution, also announced plans to close. On the secular front, Northland College in Wisconsin closed earlier this year, and Pennsylvania State University announced plans to close seven rural campuses by 2027 after years of shrinking enrollment.
