By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Wednesday, November 05, 2025

After 66 years of operation, Trinity Christian College, a private liberal arts Christian college situated on more than 100 acres of land 20 miles southwest of Chicago in Palos Heights, Illinois, has announced that it will cease operations at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year due to financial difficulties.

The decision to shutter the college, which has just under 1,000 students enrolled, was revealed in a joint announcement on the school’s website on Tuesday from Ken Dryfhout, chair of the board of trustees, and Acting President Jeanine Mozie.

“After a period of intense deliberation and prayerful discernment the board of trustees has voted to close Trinity Christian College at the end of this academic year. The class of 2026 will be our last class to graduate from Trinity and we will cease academic operations after the 2025-2026 academic year,” Dryfhout said in the announcement.

“We know this news is difficult to hear. It’s certainly difficult to share. The board has worked faithfully and tirelessly to consider every possible option in the face of significant and rapidly evolving financial challenges. However, there is no sustainable path forward for our beloved institution,” Mozie added.

Founded in 1959, the college offers more than 70 programs of study and charges tuition of just over $20,000 annually. Mozie said the focus is now on graduating as many students as possible by spring 2026 and making arrangements for the remaining students to transfer to other schools.

“Students who are not eligible to graduate this spring can complete their academic year at Trinity then transfer to another school. Trinity has secured teach-out agreements with three highly regarded local and regional institutions, that offer similar academics, out-of-pocket cost, and mission,” Mozie explained.

"These institutions will accept all your credits from Trinity and keep you on a similar timetable for graduation. We are arranging transfer agreements with other institutions as well to give students as many options as possible."

Trinity Christian College engaged in cost-cutting measures in December 2023.

Then-President Aaron Kuecker cut between six and eight of the school's 65 faculty members and 10 of the 150 staff members, according to The Chicago Tribune. That decision, he said, was to balance the school's budget and reduce student debt.

"As with any business, we're paying attention to revenues and expenses and thinking about that, sort of, over the long term," Kuecker said.

He said the school would increase class sizes but reduce tuition from $33,800 to $19,800. The cuts ultimately were not enough to address the school's financial sustainability.

"As an alum myself, I grieve this ending. Perhaps like you, Trinity has been part of my family for generations. My parents attended Trinity and were married here on campus. This decision was not taken lightly," Dryfhout said Tuesday.

The college plans to support faculty and staff "with guidance and resources in the weeks to come as they consider their next step," Dryfhout said. 

"Trinity Christian College has been a mission driven institution since our founding in 1959," Mozie said.

"We've remained committed to the transformational work of a Christian, liberal arts education in the Reformed tradition and a whole person development of our students as thinking, feeling, and believing people. And now, we're called to end well."