Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan permanently closes on June 30, 2026 — 15 days from today. About 1,800 students are affected. The university has established 18 formal teach-out agreements and 53 transfer pathways to partner institutions including Bluffton University, University of Detroit Mercy, and Ashland University. If you are a current student, your most urgent priority is requesting your official transcript immediately — some key record deadlines have already passed.

What's Happening

Siena Heights University announced its closure on June 30, 2025, giving students and faculty one full academic year to plan their transitions. On June 30, 2026, the institution ends 105 years of operation. Founded by the Adrian Dominican Sisters in 1919, it enrolled approximately 1,800 students at the time of its announcement.1

The closure is permanent. The campus in Adrian, Michigan will not reopen under a new name or through an acquisition. Students need to complete their degrees elsewhere.

Why It Closed

The financial situation had been deteriorating for years. By 2024, Siena Heights University's available credit line had dropped to $2 million, the institution was running a $2 million operating deficit, and auditors had issued a formal "going concern" warning — an accounting designation that signals the organization may not be able to continue operating.2

Enrollment decline drove both problems. Like many small private colleges, Siena Heights lacked the endowment cushion to absorb multi-year enrollment drops. When revenue falls and fixed costs stay flat, the math stops working quickly.

This pattern is playing out at small colleges across the country. Anna Maria College in Massachusetts, Hampshire College, Goddard College in Vermont, and Trinity Christian College in Illinois all closed in the same 2025–2026 cycle. The nationwide college budget crisis is accelerating closures at institutions that don't have reserves to wait it out.

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The Difference Between Teach-Out and Transfer

Siena Heights has arranged two types of pathways for its students, and they are not equivalent.3

Teach-out agreements are formal contracts between Siena Heights and partner institutions. They guarantee how credits transfer, preserve financial aid access, and provide a timeline to degree completion. The school has done the negotiation for you. Named teach-out partners include Bluffton University (Ohio), University of Detroit Mercy, and Ashland University (Ohio).

Transfer pathways are looser arrangements. The student contacts the receiving institution, uses normal transfer admission, and gets advising support from Siena Heights. Credit acceptance is not guaranteed in the same way.

If you have significant coursework to finish, a formal teach-out agreement is the safer choice. Ask any partner institution specifically: how many of my current credits will count toward my degree, and will this change my expected graduation date? Get that answer in writing.

Students planning to transfer should also review scholarships specifically for transfer students — several national programs target students who changed schools due to closures or financial hardship.

Before committing to a teach-out institution, request a credit equivalency review in writing. Verbal assurances during an admissions call do not bind anyone. A written credit evaluation — even informal email documentation — protects you if the receiving registrar later reconsiders individual courses.

What to Do Before June 30

Request your transcript right now. Siena Heights set May 31, 2026 as its formal deadline for processing transcript requests, and the university has urged all students and alumni to request their records as soon as possible given the closure.4 The institution closes on June 30. After that, access to records moves to whatever runoff process the accreditor has established — which adds time and complexity. Don't wait.

Get diplomas and certificates. Replacement diploma forms had a May 15, 2026 deadline. If you haven't submitted one, contact the registrar's office directly.

Update your FAFSA. If you move to a new institution mid-year, you'll need to update your FAFSA to list the new school's federal school code. The FAFSA process for transfer students is the same form but requires the correct receiving institution on record for your financial aid to flow correctly.

Check for refunds. If you paid any summer tuition to Siena Heights, contact the bursar immediately about whether a refund is owed for credit hours you won't complete there.

Consider timing. Siena Heights' teach-out terms allow students to begin at a partner institution as late as January 2027. You don't have to rush into a fall enrollment if you're not ready — but you should make contact with your chosen school now to hold your spot.

If you need to appeal a financial aid offer at a receiving institution, the financial aid appeal process is worth understanding before you accept any offer without negotiating.

After June 30, reaching Siena Heights administration becomes significantly harder. Resolve any open issues — transcript requests, refunds, financial aid questions, diploma orders — before the institution closes its offices. The accreditor's runoff process can take months.

What Students at Other Small Colleges Should Take Away

Siena Heights is the latest in a visible pattern. If you're currently enrolled at — or considering — a small private college with modest endowment resources, understanding what separates financially stable small schools from vulnerable ones can help you avoid a similar situation.

You can check any college's financial health yourself. Every nonprofit college files an IRS Form 990, which is publicly available through ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer. Look for three consecutive years of declining net assets, operating deficits, or any "going concern" language from auditors. For federal data, the IPEDS Finance Survey at nces.ed.gov publishes annual financial summaries for every Title IV institution.

A "going concern" flag is not always a death sentence. But it is publicly available information — and a question worth asking before you commit to four years.

Footnotes

  1. Siena Heights University. (2025, June 30). Siena Heights University announces closure at the conclusion of the 2025-2026 academic year. sienaheights.edu. https://www.sienaheights.edu/siena-heights-university-announces-closure/ ↩

  2. Higher Ed Dive. (2025, June 30). Siena Heights University to close after coming academic year. highereddive.com. https://www.highereddive.com/news/siena-heights-university-closure/752126/ ↩

  3. Siena Heights University. (2026). Teach out or transfer. sienaheights.edu. https://www.sienaheights.edu/teach-out-or-transfer/ ↩

  4. WTOL 11. (2026, June). Ahead of closure, Siena Heights provides updates, says students and alumni should request transcripts and diplomas as soon as possible. wtol.com. https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/ahead-of-closure-siena-heights-provides-updates-says-students-and-alumni-should-request-transcripts-and-diplomas-as-soon-as-possible/512-94338e4e-f80b-4f0b-8e9e-6093f8799128 ↩