Colleges Respond to Enrollment Cliff
![Roger Williams Studio Manchester campus](https://www.nec.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Williams-1-490x360.jpg)
Excerpt from the Concord Monitor article published on May 15, 2021
“Another barometer of financial stress is Forbes’ “College Financial Health Grades.” As of 2019, 177 colleges earned a D grade, a 61% increase from 2013. Only 34 earned an A+. With the exception of Dartmouth College and Southern NH University, NH’s private nonprofit schools earned a grade of C or worse, according to Forbes.
“These grim measurements are not necessarily a forecast of doom because they conflict with other estimates. For example, Forbes’ D-graded Franklin Pierce University receives high marks in post-COVID fiscal fitness and resiliency from Edmit, a national educational advising company aimed at consumers. Its co-founder Nick Ducoff says Franklin Pierce sustained a multi-million dollar operating surplus and increased its endowment in recent years.
“Edmit gives high marks to St. Anselm and New England College.
“Colleges will suffer the battle scars of COVID-19 for years to come. But Scire points out the pandemic also spurs academics to experiment with programs and technology to keep students engaged and ultimately improve retention and graduation rates.”