Massachusetts regulators flagged Anna Maria College as a potential closure risk after the state Department of Higher Education said it could not confirm the school has sufficient resources to sustain operations at current levels or meet student obligations for the coming academic year. The notification triggered contingency-planning requirements, including an orderly downsizing or teach-out approach if needed. The college reported it has already taken measures such as staff reductions and cost cuts as it faced structural headwinds and enrollment declines. Between 2019 and 2024, Anna Maria’s fall headcount fell 16.6% to 1,202 students, and the institution carries $18.4 million in debt. The notice arrives amid a continuing wave of smaller-school distress. Recent strategies described by the college—partnerships with community colleges and high schools, including dual enrollment—were presented as a buffer while it seeks renewed liquidity from an anonymous $5.3 million gift and other initiatives.