Talks about the future of Keystone College

LA PLUME, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— A Lackawanna County college is fighting to stay open due to its financial situation.

“We picked the school for a reason so it’s kind of tragic seeing it like fall apart because there’s a lot of stuff like the stairs are broken so so it’s just it’s a bit upsetting,” said Ashley Henrikson, a sophomore at Keystone College.

According to Tim Pryle, Vice President of Enrollment, the college is doing everything it can to keep the doors open, but it must prepare for the possibility of closing.

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education asked Keystone College to compile a plan for an “orderly closure,” but that does not mean the college is set to close. Pryle says things have been changing on an hourly basis, there are moments he thinks an investor is going to come in to keep the college afloat.

The college is keeping students updated on the fluid situation.

“The school is like looking for an investment partner because I guess we were in debt I think like a good amount of money and basically what I’m hearing about the school is that you had to do a teach-out plan,” stated Diante Washington, a junior at Keystone College.

If the school closes, students will be able to transfer to a school listed on the teach-out plan and the admissions and enrollment process will be simplified.

However, some students don’t like the uncertainty of their future.

“I want to know what’s going on. I know some things they can’t tell us, but you can’t tell us we’re gonna have hope and the commission comes out and says they put in plans for closure for an imminent closure. Don’t give students false hope,” expressed Henrikson.

According to the Vice President of Enrollment, their number one goal is to keep students here on campus and the school open, but he wants to make sure if the school does close, students have enough time and are prepared to continue their college education at another school.

“I’m kind of getting two different perspectives. When people say that it’s not gonna close down and for me personally, if it closed down, I’m adjusted for so I’ll be good. I’ll make sure I got a plan,” said Washington.

If the school closes and the students must transfer, they will pay nearly the same amount per semester at the new school they were scheduled to pay at Keystone College, according to the Vice President of Enrollment.

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