AMHERST, NY (WKBW) — It's been a tough month for Medaille University students in Buffalo who won't be able to return to their school this fall.
Medaille announced earlier this month that it is shutting down for good at the end ofAugust.
A number of area colleges and universities are offering ’teach-out’ for Medaille students to complete their higher education.
Daemen University hosted Medaille students Tuesday to check out the Amherst campus and its programs.
“I'm glad that there's like transfer opportunities, but I feel like I'm kind of reinventing the wheel,” remarked Andriana Sandoval, Medaille student.
Sandoval, of long island, was a double major in biology and veterinary technology on a full scholarship at Medaille. She was ready for her senior year, but then Medaille announced it is closing.
Now she feels like the rug has been pulled out from under her. She was among this group of Medaille students checking out Daemen.
“I'm like really on the fence because pre-vet is great — because I do want to go to vet school, but that vet-tech was my original plan. I had a plan and it's like it all got wiped out,” Sandoval noted.
“Hopefully we'll all get through this,” declared Eric Kay, Medaille student.
Kay, of Buffalo, just completed his freshman year at Medaille as a biology major and tells me he is “frustrated" by what happened, but has decided to attend Daemen.
“Because when I originally applied for colleges, it was either Medaille or Daemen, but then Medaille gave me more money, so I was like, oh, I'll just go there and I'll still be doing the same degree,” reflected Kay. “But then I saw the campus and I was like, what he was, like really nice.”
Paying for college remains a big concern, but the students say Daemen will work with them on matching their current costs at Medaille.
“You don't pay any more than you did at Medaille. so you know, if you were only paying for housing and like tuition was only like two grand, you're only paying two grand,” Sandoval explained.
“A student and a family should not be punished because an institution closed — no fault of their own, right? And that's what's happened to these students here. Daemen is committed to doing everything we can to make sure that they are not punished because of that,” described Greg Nayor, senior vice president for strategic initiatives, Daemen University.
Nayor tells me the financial aid part is the easiest part of the process, but admits student housing will be tighter this year.
“The most challenging part is the transcript review because we need to make sure that we can take every possible credit we can to get them the credits they need here to finish on,” Nayor commented.
Daemen officials say students aren't being rushed into any decision and could have the whole summer to decide.
“But if they need an extra month, they need two months, they need August — they have until August,” Nayor replied.
In the last two weeks seven Medaille students have already committed to Daemen and the school is ready to welcome more into its community.
