Massachusetts

Hampshire College seeks merger amid financial pressure

AMHERST, Mass. — A Massachusetts college is hoping to merge with another institution well before it reaches a financial crisis.

Hampshire College says it has a balanced budget and a healthy endowment, but it faces the same pressures that have forced other small schools to close.

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To avoid that fate, the Amherst school announced Tuesday it's looking for a "strategic partnership" to support its future.

President Miriam Nelson says the school is starting the process while it still has time.

Officials are weighing whether to enroll a new class for next fall. They plan to decide before Feb. 1, the planned date to issue admission decisions.

The private college opened in 1970 and enrolls around 1,300 students.

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Several small Massachusetts colleges have closed in recent years, including Newbury College and Mount Ida College.