On April 14, 2026, the Trustees of Hampshire College announced their decision to close the College in December 2026, after more than 55 years of contribution to the Five College Consortium, and to the culture and community of the Pioneer Valley.

The closure of Hampshire necessitates urgent action to support Hampshire students who are left in limbo. Fortunately, the Five Colleges have the resources to meet the moment. The Consortium has aspired to new heights in collaboration since the founding of Hampshire College in 1965, when “In the wake of that joint planning came a formal commitment to cooperation as a common goal.” Yet, as Hampshire now enters a semester-long teach-out in the Fall '26 semester, there is a need for greater collaboration and planning between Hampshire students, Hampshire, and the Five Colleges.

As time passes since the initial announcement, Hampshire students continue to be unsure of next steps, continually facing new obstacles as they navigate a difficult transition with few resources and limited options. Amherst College, Bennington College, Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, The Massachusetts College of the Liberal Arts (MCLA), Prescott College, Smith College, and The University of Massachusetts, Amherst were announced as our eight transfer partner schools, calling upon decades-old promises for support in the event of disaster.

Hampshire’s closure puts many students at risk: of losing housing, visas and OTP, academic freedom, and education that they can afford and reliably travel to. We call upon Dr. Sarah Pfatteicher, Dr. Danielle Holley, Dr. Sarah Willie-LeBreton, Dr. Michael A. Elliott, and Dr. Javier Reyes to ensure that success is within reach for every student impacted by Hampshire’s closure, in the following ways:

1. Support for International Students
Guaranteed acceptance and visa support for transferring international students at risk of deportation.
Assistance in applications and sponsorships for student visa and Optional Practical Training (OPT), prioritizing those students graduating within 1 Year of Hampshire losing accreditation.
Waiver of English proficiency test retakes for transfer applicants.

2. Admissions Accommodations for Transfers
5Cs to offer delayed admissions for transfer students for Spring and Fall ‘27.
UMass Amherst to offer in-state tuition or tuition matching to Hampshire students, based on which provides most aid.
Mount Holyoke, Smith College, and Amherst College to accept proportional numbers of transfer students, including through delayed admission through the Fall ‘27 semester.

3. Academic Support for Continuing Hampshire Students
5Cs to allow Hampshire students to preregister for more than two 5C courses for Fall ‘26 semester to ensure access to relevant courses.
Amherst College to allow Hampshire students to enroll in more than two courses for Fall ‘26 semester.

4. Transportation for Continuing Hampshire Students
PVTA Route 38 to continue to service Hampshire College through Fall ‘26 semester.
PVTA Route 39 to expand services to accommodate Hampshire students taking Smith College classes as early as 8:00am and as late as 10:00pm, or to be combined with route 39E, or replaced with adequate shuttle service.

The Consortium Colleges should honor their commitments of collaboration and cooperation by supporting Hampshire College students. We welcome the opportunity to meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss the above requests.