Pomona College and Claremont Graduate University entered exclusive, confidential negotiations over a potential transaction that could make CGU a legal subsidiary of Pomona while preserving its graduate identity and degrees. The institutions said they expect to negotiate a definitive agreement over the next six months but emphasized any deal would be nonbinding and that CGU would retain academic autonomy. CGU has been exploring partnerships for more than a year as it seeks a mission‑aligned partner amid financial and demographic pressures facing graduate institutions. Under the current framework, Pomona would provide strategic guidance, investment management and support exploring new financial models rather than outright subsidizing operations. The talks — if they proceed — would be one of the most significant reconfigurations in the Claremont Colleges consortium and could signal a model for mission‑driven consolidations among small independent institutions facing enrollment and fiscal stress.