'Very Painful Decision': Becker College In Worcester Permanently Closing
WORCESTER (CBS) – Becker College, a private school with campuses in Worcester and Leicester, will permanently close at the end of the academic year.
The school's Board of Trustees voted Sunday, with chair Christine Cassidy calling it a "very painful decision for all of us."
Students will be provided with academic, support and transitional services through August 31. Becker College graduation is scheduled for May 8.
Enrollment at Becker fell in 2018 and 2019, forcing the school to make budget cuts. Cassidy said the COVID pandemic in 2020 "quickly accelerated the need to take more aggressive actions."
While facing the need for a technology investment due to remote learning, Becker also was faced with an "unanticipated and significant drop" in the number of students last year.
"The Greater Worcester region has been a wonderful home to Becker College," Cassidy said. "This has proven out in the outreach from so many over the past few weeks, providing words of encouragement. Closing the College is not the path we wanted to pursue. It is sad at every level. We have sufficient resources to complete this academic year, but not beyond that in a way that is fiscally responsible and in the best interest of students."