Three of Mississippi’s eight public universities could close soon under a bill proposed by one state senator who says funding that many institutions is too costly, with what he calls a downward spiral in enrollment.
The “downward spiral” is fueled by a drop in the state’s high school graduation rate, which in turn leads to lower enrollment at the state’s public universities.
Polk’s proposal does not specify which three universities would close but said the State Institutions of Higher Learning would have to announce which schools would be shuttered by June of next year. And those universities would have to close by June 2028.
