Our current financial path is not sustainable. The landscape of higher education is changing, and smaller institutions like the University of Lynchburg face significant financial and market challenges. 

University leaders nationwide are navigating a complex landscape defined by financial uncertainty, shifting policies, and the urgent need to reaffirm the value of a degree. These interlocking pressures demand careful strategy and proactive change.

• Responding to a Dynamic Policy Environment: Institutions must adapt to a governmental landscape characterized by unpredictable public funding and a constant need to manage evolving regulatory expectations and compliance demands.

• Reaffirming Trust and Value: As public skepticism about college outcomes grows, leaders are focused on restoring confidence and clearly demonstrating the lasting value of higher education to students and society.

• Ensuring Long-Term Stability: With volatile revenue streams and rising operational costs, institutions face significant pressure to remain viable. The fact that over 200 colleges have closed or merged since 2016 underscores the critical need for strategic reinvention to ensure a sustainable future.

The core issues? Rising expenses, coupled with shrinking revenue and a declining pool of potential students. We must act now to better control our costs and to blunt the impact of anticipated inflation increases of from of 3-5%.

We've engaged an independent auditor, funded through a Google Foundation grant, to help us thoroughly analyze our non-instructional costs against industry benchmarks. We will keep the community updated throughout this process.

✓ Your small classes, faculty mentorship, and sense of belonging aren't going anywhere - that's what makes Lynchburg special, and we're protecting it.

✓ We will continue expanding programs in high-demand fields that lead to good jobs.

✓ More course flexibility, including online options mixed with in-person learning (just like many of you wanted).

✓ Lynchburg remains affordable. We're committed to keeping the value strong.

✓ We're strategically managing our resources to ensure stability and quality instruction.

Why We're Doing This

Higher ed is changing fast. We're evolving to provide you with what you truly need: career-ready skills, flexible learning options, and genuine mentorship. We're not abandoning our mission; we're strengthening it for your generation.