Hampshire College's leadership says the private school needs to sell off parts of its 800-acre campus to meet debt demands.
The news comes two weeks after the college based in Amherst, Massachusetts, announced it would close following its fall 2026 semester.
In a letter to the campus community Wednesday, Hampshire President Jennifer Chrisler said that as the school’s closure approaches, lenders are expecting "swift repayment" on loans the college took out between 2010 and 2016: about $25 million.
"The Hampshire campus as we know it will not endure in its current form," the president stated. "It will need to become something different for the college to meet its obligations."
Chrisler noted the college has enlisted a broker and that it is looking to "identify a buyer who can move forward with a high degree of certainty and on an expedited timeline."
The campus currently spans 600 acres in Amherst and 200 acres in neighboring Hadley, with various pastures and wooded areas among its facilities.
The college's closure comes after years of trying to boost enrollment and cut expenses. Hampshire College is also slated to lay off around 200 staff members in the coming months.
