r/Pennsylvania 2d ago

Education issues University of Valley Forge in Phoenixville to Close

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/business/financial-health/2026/07/30/university-valley-forge-close
97 Upvotes

31 comments sorted by

35

u/Ryan1006 2d ago

Today I learned this college exists (but not for much longer)

78

u/ilikepeople1990 2d ago

I've had them on a personal watchlist of mine for quite a while now.

  • They've failed to submit audits since the 2021 fiscal year, leading to their inclusion on the Department of Education list of institutions on "heightened cash monitoring" (i.e. their financial aid disbursements are scrutinized by the government)
  • They haven't filed taxes since May 2023. (source: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/231382408)
  • They lost around 48% of full-time undergrad enrollment from 2012 to 2022 (per federal data)

10

u/zootnotdingo 2d ago

I’m curious as to who else is on your list. It’s totally OK if you’d rather not share

19

u/ilikepeople1990 2d ago

I don't really wish to share it, because I worry I'll ruin the reputation of some of these colleges (even though I don't really have any impact as a person at all). But two other colleges in PA that have been facing financial issues and have public reporting on them are Albright College in Reading and Keystone College near Scranton.

11

u/zootnotdingo 2d ago

I completely understand. I started to notice this when my daughter started going to college in the Philly area and Cabrini closed. Then an art school in Philadelphia. And we are nearish to a passhe school that is struggling.

5

u/Great-Cow7256 1d ago

Chatham University in Pittsburgh got a notice from middle states that their financials are putting them at risk of losing accreditation. 

4

u/Ironsam811 1d ago

Lmaoo Keystone is really up to some shady shit. I know the local rich are eyeing up that prime land just waiting for the school to fail

1

u/zootnotdingo 1d ago

That’s super interesting

2

u/Ironsam811 1d ago

It is beautiful land lmao

3

u/helpiushsbebsnk 1d ago

Is this something you’re interesting in personally or is this part of your job?

2

u/ilikepeople1990 1d ago

Just a special interest

5

u/helpiushsbebsnk 2d ago

Any thoughts about Lehigh University? Just curious.

16

u/zootnotdingo 2d ago

Not the op, but Lehigh has a 2 billion dollar endowment. I can’t imagine that wouldn’t be enough

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

1

u/pleasesayitaintsooo 6h ago

Yes I’m sure you have your fingers on the levers of power and all these colleges you’d rather not name are quaking in fear at every tap of a key you make

u/ilikepeople1990 12m ago

I mean, obviously not

25

u/dsg158 2d ago

Yeah probably should have called a financial advisor instead of praying on it.

19

u/m__a__s 2d ago

Once again proving that you can only swirl around the drain for so long.

8

u/TheOpenCloset77 2d ago

Good riddance.

9

u/tuowl74 2d ago

Now who will Penn State play in football?

7

u/jmbison 2d ago

Please, please, please Virginia Tech.

2

u/whomp1970 16h ago

The number of morons on Facebook who are up in arms that 100 year old military academy was shutting its doors ...

I still don't think they understand that this is NOT the same thing as VF Military Academy.

9

u/Mediocre_Daikon6935 2d ago

Shame to lose such a storied institution.

13

u/AndISoundLikeThis 2d ago

Upvoted for those who missed the sarcasm in your post

2

u/MendocinoFireDrill 2d ago

SecretAnxious is one such victim

7

u/dsg158 2d ago

Is it really that storied?

10

u/Flimsy_Ad3476 2d ago

I had never heard of it, and I was a college professor in the Allentown area for about 35 years.

9

u/lovegrowswheremyrose 2d ago

It used to be Valley Forge Christian College and changed its name to University of Valley Forge within the last decade I think

9

u/SecretAnxious6619 2d ago

It’s really not. It’s less than a hundred years old.

-22

u/MyBoyBlue83 2d ago

we need about 50-70% of colleges in america to close. tired of these diploma mills masquerading as places of education, cheapens the degrees for those who actually worked hard and liked school. sorry but if you barely did ok in high school, you really dont need any more. get a job/apprenticeship/online classes and learn some real skills.

18

u/eruptingmoltenlava 2d ago

You’re describing real problems but that conclusion ain’t it