Mt. Sierra College In Monrovia Suddenly Shuts Down, Days Before Graduation Ceremony

MONROVIA (CBSLA) — Mt. Sierra College in Monrovia shut down suddenly this week, leaving students who expected to take part in a graduation ceremony in the lurch.

The president of the Monrovia-based technical college gave students and faculty one day's notice of its closure in an email, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

"The college, due to severe financial problems, cannot continue to hold classes and will be closing as of June 25th, 2019," Brian Chilstrom wrote in a letter distributed schoolwide, the Tribune reported.

Students who had finished their coursework would graduate, but a ceremony planned for Thursday was canceled. The for-profit college's site and social media accounts gave no indication of its current status.

Mt. Sierra College's accreditation has been in jeopardy since November 2012. Last month, in a letter placing the college on probation, the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges noted that Mt. Sierra had changed ownership twice, had multiple directors and was reporting below-benchmark student achievement rates.