Students shocked by sudden closure of Northwestern College

OAK LAWN, IL — A for-profit career college in Oak Lawn has abruptly closed its doors after 122 years, leaving current students in a panic about their next steps to complete their education.

Northwestern College students were notified via email Saturday by college president Lawrence Schumacher that the school would close due to serious financial problems.

“We cannot continue to hold classes and we will close from July 6,” Schumacher said.
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The for-profit college at 9400 S. Cicero Ave. in Oak Lawn was founded in 1902 as a “vocational college” to meet the Chicago area’s need for skilled and qualified workers. Until Saturday, Northwestern College offered certificates, associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in medical and dental fields, including medical assisting, dental assisting, coding specialization, nursing, radiology, medical information technology and health information management.

According to the email students received from school officials, the school was subject to a review by the U.S. Department of Education, which stopped regular federal student aid payments. The school was placed on a repayment system where funds were delayed for 45 days or more.

“The institution was able to compensate for the funding delay of more than two years,” Schumacher said. “Unfortunately, the institution is no longer able to make further arrangements to compensate for this ongoing delay.”

Schumacher called the decision to close the college “difficult” and the college administration explored the possibility of merging with similar colleges, but “after careful analysis of its current and projected financial situation,” decided to close the school.

To help students make a smooth transition without too much disruption to their education, the college has compiled a list of colleges and universities on its website that have agreed to accept Northwestern College students to complete their academic programs.

“We have identified several institutions that have comparable academic programs and have indicated that they will accept our students, grant credit for courses completed on a satisfactory academic basis, and expedite the admissions and registration processes,” Schumacher said in his email.

Transfer options include Prairie State College, Moraine Valley Community College, Devry Institute, Chamberlain University, Morton College and Malcolm X Community College.

Northwestern College students can also find information about their next steps on the Illinois Higher Board of Education website. The website also includes information about where to request transcripts from the IHBE and about the forgiveness and eligibility requirements for federal closed school loans through the Department of Education.

For more information about academic records, email [email protected] by August 1, 2024.

According to Forbes, for-profit colleges and universities are more likely to close without warning than other types of institutions due to financial instability, such as the loss of federal aid, and a declining number of high school graduates.

Northwestern College has notified the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), the Department of Education (DOE), the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), the Illinois Board of Nursing, and the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM) of the college’s closure.