Lourdes University announced it will close in May after trustees and the Sisters of St. Francis concluded operations were financially unsustainable. The board cited years of enrollment declines, an overstretched $13.6 million endowment, and operating deficits that made continued subsidy impossible. The decision follows a wave of recent small-college failures and signals continued pressure on tuition‑dependent private institutions. Students, faculty and staff face immediate transfer and teach‑out logistics; federal student‑aid continuity and transcript access will be top priorities for receiving institutions and state regulators. Administrators and regional accreditors will be watching how the closure is managed because poor wind‑down can trigger regulatory and financial follow‑on risks for other small campuses.