We recognize that change is often hard, especially when it is unexpected. The Board of Regents has an enduring commitment to providing Lutheran higher education in Michigan, and that is something we can all celebrate. After the 2024-25 academic year, the scope and complexion of Concordia University Ann Arbor will look different than today. Still, the hope and intention of everyone involved is that its indelible impact on its students, the community, and the Church at large will continue mightily. Many undergraduate programs will continue along with accelerated and graduate programs. Perhaps most importantly, the Chapel of the Holy Trinity will continue to be a place for God’s people to gather for worship, for His Word to be shared, and for the grace and forgiveness made possible through our resurrected Savior Jesus to be proclaimed to all.
All of us recognize the sizeable investment in higher education. While tuition costs often rise annually due to broader inflation, the scope of financial aid available to Concordia University Ann Arbor students will remain consistent. In fact, Concordia’s Advancement Team is working to develop and fund even more scholarships to serve our students directly. If a CUAA student decides to transfer to Concordia University Wisconsin, CUW will guarantee an exact match of institutional aid.
CUAA dormitories and student life will continue in 2024-25, much like it has for the past several years. In the 2025-26 academic year and beyond, campus life will still be rich and engaging for students, but it will likely look and feel different than today. What will not change is the presence of Lutheran higher education in Michigan and the commitment to educational excellence and individual student growth and development on which Concordia University Ann Arbor was founded.
Communication timing is often a challenge, largely due to a commitment to ensure that all the appropriate stakeholders were engaged in the process and that a full set of related data was provided and examined. The conversations and considerations connected to the Board of Regents’ deliberations started in late 2023. In March 2024, the Board announced that the 2024-25 academic year would continue as planned to give students and families the best opportunity to plan. Similarly, this most recent announcement from the Board of Regents provides current CUAA students with a year to consider their future and their pathway options for degree completion.