Sterling College, a tiny, environmentally focused liberal arts school in the Northeast Kingdom, will close its doors as a degree-granting institution after 65 years. The school announced the board of trustees’ decision on its website this week, citing “persistent financial and enrollment challenges.”

Sterling is the ninth private college to effectively close up shop in Vermont in the last decade.

The college brought on a new president, Scott Thomas, just two years ago, with the mandate to buck the enrollment and demographic trends that are rapidly shuttering small colleges across the Northeast. But in an interview Thursday, Thomas said the school didn’t have the runway it needed.

The school dealt with flooding, debt, unanticipated infrastructure costs and uncertainty about federal aid

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