Trinity Christian College to Close in May
Financial constraints forced the Chicago-area school’s closing.
Trinity Christian College, a small Christian college outside of Chicago, will close its doors at the end of this academic year.
Trinity Christian College / Video screenshot
On November 4, the board of trustees announced the school would be closing due to financial constraints.
“Like many small, private universities across the country, we have been financially impacted by fast-evolving economic and cultural realities: post-Covid financial losses; persistent operating deficits; a decline in college enrollment and increased competition for students; and a shift in donor giving and financial circumstances,” a statement on the school’s closure page said.
“Unfortunately, after reviewing assessments from financial and higher education advisors, and following a period of intense and prayerful deliberation and discernment, Trinity’s Board of Trustees has determined there is no path toward long-term sustainability for our beloved institution,” it continued.
It plans to offer a full course schedule, housing, and meal plans through the end of the spring semester.
Trinity has worked with other institutions to provide “teach out” options for students who won’t finish their degree plans before the school closes. Saint Xaiver, Calvin, and Olivet Nazarene Universities are providing teach out options in several degree areas. Some teach out agreements are still in progress.
Students will be able to attend individual and group advising sessions about options to finish their degrees.
Once Trinity closes, students will need to apply to Calvin University to obtain their transcripts. Trinity shares “deep, historical connections to the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA).” Calvin is also a CRCNA-affiliated school.
Zach King, general secretary of the CRCNA, said, “Trinity has been such a blessing to the Christian Reformed Church and its congregations for the past nearly 70 years. It has raised up leaders and shaped generations of young people. Its impact is far-reaching and will continue to be felt through its graduates even as the doors close next May.”
Trinity currently has a student body of over 900 students and offers 70 programs of study. It was founded by a group of young business leaders who, in 1956, “recogniz[ed] the need for a Christian college in the Chicagoland area.” The school opened in Palos Heights, Illinois, in 1959.
Kevin Dryfhout, chair of the Trinity board of trustees, said on a video about the closing, “I grieve this ending. My parents attended Trinity and were married here on campus. This decision was not taken lightly.”
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