Hampshire College held an event Monday that officials called a transfer fair for students. The storied liberal arts college that first opened in the 1970s announced last week it would be closing for most students at the end of the semester in May.
The college is giving Div III or senior students the option to complete their degree on campus by the end of 2026.
Hampshire has struggled to survive for years. In 2019 officials announced it was seeking a strategic partner to help stay afloat.
Despite efforts to raise more money and boost enrollment, the financial pressures became too much for Hampshire to endure.
"Hampshire's board made this decision only after exploring every possible alternative," said Jose Fuentes, Chair of the Hampshire College Board of Trustees in a statement issued last week.
Hampshire College student Jiji Gallman said they were still figuring out what they'll do, since first hearing the news.
"I'm so heartbroken that we're losing this for our community in Western Mass," Gallman said on campus, after coming from a film studies class.
"I was talking with our professor and she was like, 'I will try my best to answer any questions that we have but even then, everything is just very uncertain right now,'" Gallman said.
As a second year student, Gallman is just weeks away from the end of the spring term, studying philosophy and play writing.
They said they plan to transfer somewhere, but will likely have to define their major. A few years ago Gallman said they weren't even sure they would go to college.
"The thing about Hampshire that was so wonderful was the unique structure and the individualized support that they offer people, especially people who come from nontraditional or nonstandard education backgrounds," Gammon said.
