Kent County Today

Delaware leaders recently approved millions in state taxpayer funding to a private college that is trying to merge with another higher-learning institution, according to local reports.

Dover-based Wesley College will receive $3 million from the state's Higher Education Economic Development Investment Fund while college leaders work to find a merger partner.

WBOC reported that Wesley and an unidentified partner reached preliminary approval to merge. While Wesley navigates its future, the state funding the institution received raises questions.

“Why in the world is the state giving money to a private college without any kind of checks and balances?” John Stapleford, policy director at the Caesar Rodney Institute, recently told Kent County Today.

Wesley requested state money from the Higher Education Economic Development Investment Fund in November.

Though Stapleford questioned if there were checks, the committee that awarded the funding said in a statement to the Delaware State News in February that, “The state has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the college that includes a number of conditions agreed to by the college in order to be eligible to receive these additional funds. These conditions include drawing the funds on an as-needed basis, providing regular reports to the state and meeting certain milestones.”

Similar to many smaller private colleges, Wesley is dealing with a decrease in enrollment. According to its website, undergrad attendance declined by 219 enrollees to 1,228 for Fall 2018 — and represents a trend for five years.

The economic committee that awarded the funding told Delaware State News that allowing Wesley to fold would have a negative impact on the state capital, businesses and community members.

“In addition, hundreds of Delawareans would have their education disrupted without a clear path to continue their education,” the committee told the media outlet.

However, Stapleford contended that “if [Wesley] can’t be competitive in their marketplace, then how long will a bailout really be of use? If you don’t have a competitive position in the marketplace for independent liberal colleges, I don’t think money from a state fund is going to overcome that.”