Iowa Wesleyan's fate underscores woes facing others [View all]

On its website, Iowa Wesleyan University lists five top reasons to enroll: quality education, personalized experience, affordability and extracurricular opportunities in the small, safe, and friendly town of Mount Pleasant, cradled in the Midwestern breadbasket of Southeast Iowa.

An hour and a half northwest sits Pella’s Central College — another four-year private liberal arts school promoting $24,000 in scholarships to “a select number of applicants.”

Continue an hour west and you’ll hit Indianola, home to Simpson College, a four-year private institution that highlights its affordability.

But all three schools over the past decade have seen noteworthy enrollment and financial challenges in a higher-education landscape that’s become increasingly competitive — not just for students, but for donors willing to support their missions.

Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/iowa-wesleyan-financial-woes-small-liberal-arts-colleges-problems-20181110