Art Institute of Seattle at risk of closure

SEATTLE — Hundreds of students at the Art Institute of Seattle say they feel left out in the cold -- after receiving emails that their campus may be on the verge of shutting down.

"It's sad and disappointing that everything is going to happen like that. I was expecting to graduate from here." George Garro, a student at the Art Institute of Seattle told KIRO 7’s Rob Munoz.

Garro is one of 650 students at the Belltown campus informed Tuesday by the Washington Student Achievement Council that the school may run out of money.

“If they close down, I won’t be able to graduate,” Garro, who was supposed to graduate last quarter with a degree in animation, said.

Tuition at the Art Institute costs $22,000 per year. The school could close on March 22 if no buyer enters the picture.

Seattle’s Art Institute was at one point one of 31 campuses trimmed down to 18 amid declining enrollment.

In January, the Washington Student Achievement Council was notified by the organization owning the school that it was on the verge of financial insolvency. The council is working with the school to see how, if possible, students can complete their degrees elsewhere if it closes.

"They want us to continue to register. They are going to keep taking our money. So, obviously, they're going to continue things as regular," student Trenise Williams said.

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