Goodbye Alnwick Castle; Beloved SCSU Study Abroad Experience To End

After more than 50 years, St. Cloud State University is ending its study abroad program in a castle in Alnwick, England.

Long considered the crown jewel of SCSU's study abroad experiences, the Alnwick program will come to a close in December.

The program has allowed students and teachers from St. Cloud State to live and learn in the castle situated in Northumberland, in the northeastern United Kingdom.

SCSU students not only live and learn in a castle, they are immersed in another culture.

If living in a castle isn't enough, the program also acts as a homebase for students who learn how to travel throughout Europe on weekends and holidays.

"That's so sad," said SCSU Alnwick alum Kate Olson upon hearing the news of the program ending. "It was a piece of my life I'll forever be grateful for."

Olson -- like thousands of other students -- lived in the castle, attended classes and developed a deep love of travel while there -- not to mention made friends for life with other students and teachers while studying and travelling.

Shutting Down Alnwick a "Difficult Decision"

In a letter to the campus community this morning, SCSU President Gregory Tomso called the Alnwick study abroad program "one of the most distinictive and transformative experiences" that the university offers.

But he added, "Today, the landscape of global education has changed, as have the needs and preferences of our students." Tomso says interest in the Alnwick program has declined in recent years as other schools increased their study abroad offerings.

Plus, Tomso says, the cost of operating the program continued to rise.

He says after carefully reviewing long-term enrollment trends, university priorities, and the changing landscape of global education, SCSU leaders made "the difficult decision" to end the program in December 2026.

Tomso says while the Alnwick program is ending, SCSU will continue to offer other education abroad experiences.