Citing Financial Pressures, Small Arts College in Minnesota Will Shut Down

The College of Visual Arts, a nonprofit four-year institution in Minnesota that enrolls roughly 200 students, announced on Wednesday that it would close its doors in June. Ann Ledy, the college’s president, said in a message on the institution’s Web site that “students have found it more and more difficult to pay their way” in light of declining federal and state financial support. The college, in St. Paul, also said its enrollment had dropped 21 percent over the past year and its limited endowment had been another factor in the decision to shut down. The college said it had been working with another art-and-design college in the area so that students have a chance to complete their degrees.