As part of an economic development strategy, Peoria made agreements with two private, Indiana-based colleges to put satellite campuses in the city. Now, one of them is now shutting its doors.
Trine University opened its Peoria campus in 2013, with much anticipation of bringing jobs and STEM education to the area.
Trine officials say it is closing the Peoria location June 12, and that most of the current students should finish their degrees by that date.
An agreement from 2012 says Peoria would pay Trine $962,000 after the school met certain thresholds, like having a marketing and staff plan as well as entering into a lease in Peoria. The city also agreed, in that total, to reimburse Trine for the first three years of rental tax on the lease.
In addition, the agreement says if Trine did not meet enrollment targets in the first two years of opening, Peoria would provide support of up to $1,550,000.
Trine spokesman James Tew would not say why the Peoria campus is closing in June.
“If there are any who have not completed their degree at that point, they will have the option of finishing their degree online or they can transfer and finish at our main campus in Indiana.”
Tew said since inception, the Peoria campus enrolled a total of about 800 students. The enrollment in its fourth year, per the agreement, was supposed to be 2,180 students. For the 2016-17 school year, 168 students were enrolled.
Peoria officials said in a statement it wishes Trine University continued success, with no further comment on the closure.
Peoria recently was sued by the Goldwater institute over incentives given to another private, Indiana-based college in the area, Huntington University.
