The University of Providence will close next summer, ending nearly 95 years of Catholic higher education in Great Falls. The board of trustees voted at 8:45 a.m. on Oct. 27 to end educational operations after the 2026-27 academic year. The last day of instruction is Aug. 20, 2027. Faculty, staff and students learned the news that morning, after the vote.
“We recognize the grief and uncertainty this decision will bring to students, families, employees, alumni and the Great Falls community,” President Caroline Goulet said in the university’s announcement.
With Providence gone, Carroll College in Helena becomes Montana’s only Catholic college.
How it got here
Board chair Terry Cosgrove, a 1969 graduate of what was then the College of Great Falls, told reporters that talks over a possible alternative to closing went on until the week before the vote. He would not name the possible merger or acquisition partners, citing nondisclosure agreements.
The school had cut programs and expenses and tried new enrollment strategies. Those steps bought time but didn’t fix the basic problem. “We just needed to attract more students to make it viable,” Cosgrove said at the press conference, as reported by KRTV. “And we tried, but we weren’t successful.”
The university has no debt, Cosgrove said. It did have a string of setbacks. It declared financial exigency in late 2025, a formal step that lets a college cut programs and staff outside its usual procedures. Its accreditor, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, put it on probation over financial sustainability, though the school remains accredited. And it lost authorization to serve online students in many states, which cut into a revenue stream it had been counting on.
Providence St. Joseph Health had been supporting the school with roughly $8 million a year, according to Montana Free Press, and the university was expected to stand on its own by the end of 2027. Montana Free Press and Inside Higher Ed reported that the school lost money in nine of the last ten years and that its cash reserves dropped from about $7.6 million to under $250,000 in a single year. Most of its roughly $21 million endowment was restricted.
Students, and a lot of athletes
About 430 students are enrolled, according to figures shared at the press conference, down from more than 950 a decade ago. More than three-quarters of them play a sport. The Argonauts field 15 teams in the Frontier and Cascade conferences, and Goulet said teams will finish their current seasons.
Goulet said leadership believed the school would stay open when coaches were recruiting athletes and meeting with their families. Other schools have already reached out about Providence students and athletes, she said.
Every enrolled student is supposed to get an individual plan. Some will finish at Providence before August. Others will move through teach-out agreements with partner schools, which will set terms for completing programs, including tuition and scholarships. Partner schools will be named as agreements are signed. Registration continues, and campus housing stays open.
The Montana University System said the same day it will help Providence students who want to transfer to a public campus. Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian told students, “You do not have to navigate this transition alone.” The system has set up a page at mus.edu/providence with programs and campus contacts, including options in Great Falls and online.
Faculty and staff
The university has about 115 faculty and staff, Goulet said. Individual meetings with employees started Oct. 28 to cover timelines, pay and benefits. The school says it is arranging career transition help and mental health support.
Deborah Kottel, the interim associate provost, has worked at the school since 1980. She said faculty were devastated, and that many students’ first reaction was concern for their teachers. “They weren’t speaking about themselves,” Kottel said. “They were speaking about the faculty, and they were worried about us and our ability to move forward.”
A school founded to teach women
The Sisters of Providence, the Ursuline Sisters and the Catholic Bishop of Great Falls founded the school in 1932, at a time when women had few chances at higher education. It was the College of Great Falls for decades, became the University of Great Falls in 1995 and took its current name in 2017 through its partnership with Providence St. Joseph Health. The final commencement is scheduled for May 8, 2027.
“The Sisters of Providence founded this University because they saw a need,” said Mary Anne Sladich-Lantz, president of Providence Ministries. “While we let go with heavy hearts, the mission and spirit of Providence will continue to live on through graduates of this fine institution.”
No decision has been announced on the 68-acre campus on 20th Street South. Greg Till, Providence’s chief people officer, said information on the property will be shared when it’s available. The university says it will release details on transcripts and alumni records in the coming months.