The president of Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, said new state regulations under consideration could raise college costs.
The draft regulations for private colleges come in the wake of the abrupt closing of Mount Ida College in Newton in 2018 because of financial difficulties, and the announcement by Hampshire College in Amherst last winter that it was also facing money problems.
The state would not only track the financial health of institutions, but require those that don't make the grade to develop plans to notify the public if they have to close.
The president of Elms College, Harry Dumay, said the state could accomplish the same goals by working with existing private accreditors "as opposed to creating parallel processes that will provide additional costs to institutions and, in the end, costs that make education for expensive for students and families."
The state board of higher education plans to vote on the final regulations this fall.
A spokeperson for the state said colleges would not would incur additional costs during the initial screening process.
