The Price School of Public Policy paused enrollment in its master’s of nonprofit leadership and management program for Fall 2026 to reduce the school’s expenses, Price wrote in a statement to the Daily Trojan. Current students will not be impacted by the pause.

The decision was announced in September during a Zoom meeting between students currently enrolled in the program and Price Dean Christopher Boone, according to Jorge Zatarain, a master’s student in the nonprofit leadership and management program. 

The nonprofit leadership and management program, which was founded in 2015, focuses on teaching students leadership and decision-making skills, according to its website. Last fall, the program had 24 students enrolled in the program. 

According to Price’s website, the pause is so they can review and innovate curricula. Price did not confirm how long the pause would be in its statement.

Sally Krueger-Wyman, another student in the program, said she was very disappointed about the decision. She said she was afraid that this pause could signal the program would be shut down in the future, rather than the program being improved as Price said it was.

“I really don’t think [the decision] reflects the world we live in, the country we live in,” Krueger-Wyman said. “It would be incredibly sad if USC no longer offered an education in nonprofit leadership and management. I think it would let down Los Angeles.”

In December, Zatarain sent a letter to Boone, President Beong-Soo Kim and Provost Andrew Guzman, requesting a clear written outline of the review process and timeline that led to the decision to pause the program, transparency regarding the criteria and data used to evaluate the program.

“We wanted some clarity,” Zatarian said, “because nothing was shared with us whatsoever.”

In response to Zatarain’s letter, Price scheduled a listening session with students and alumni to discuss concerns about the decision to the school’s administration.

The meeting then took place Jan. 23, with about 20 students and alumni attending, Zatarian said. During the meeting, several students shared their concerns about the pause and how they were affected by the decision, Zatarian said.

The Daily Trojan reviewed the listening session, where Boone said Price was met with a 5% reduction internally and a 5% cut from the University that they had to abide by.

Boone said a key factor in the decision to pause the program was enrollment, citing that the program was enrolling 10 to 15 students per year. 

“This was somewhat surprising given the expertise we have in the school,” Boone said in the listening session. 

According to Boone, the revenue the program was bringing in wasn’t relevant because the University asked them to cut expenditures. 

“Thankfully, the tough choices we made last fall have put us in a stronger position to ensure that the USC Price School remains one of the nation’s most respected public policy schools,” the statement said. 

Despite the listening session, both Krueger-Wyman and Zatarain said they remain concerned about transparency throughout the decision-making process. 

Price declined to comment regarding concerns raised about transparency.

Krueger-Wyman suggested that Price develop an advisory committee, made up of students and alumni, to help provide feedback on the program. 

“I would love to see the administration seek feedback from students about what is and isn’t working with the program,” Krueger-Wyman said. “If they really want to innovate the program and make it better, then they really need student input to do that.” 

When Krueger-Wyman first went through the program’s orientation, she recalled being asked what she hoped to gain from the program. She said it was the networking with both past and future alumni of the program, which she said may be limited due to the program’s uncertain future.

“If we’re not going to be able to return and engage with current students, if our alumni are not going to continue to grow, if there are no connections in L.A. that are part of the non-profit world, it’s a huge concern,” Krueger-Wyman said.

Price said they will continue to explore opportunities within the nonprofit sector. 

“We remain committed to nonprofit leadership and management and, working with faculty, have been exploring ways in which we can continue to offer education and scholarship in this field,” the statement read.