Mercer University’s president announced Friday the school will close its campuses for the rest of the semester and move to virtual learning.

Most of Georgia’s largest colleges and universities — public and private — decided more than a week ago to move to virtual learning. Mercer had said it would make a decision about its plans by April 3. Its main campus is in Macon, but it also has a campus in north DeKalb County.

Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday ordered all public colleges to remain closed for the remainder of the semester. Mercer is a private university.

“My hope was that we could provide those of you who are graduating at the end of this semester or term an opportunity to complete your time at Mercer physically on our campuses with your colleagues and faculty,” the university’s president, William Underwood, said in a message posted online Friday.

> RELATED: Georgia college students, faculty adjust to remote learning

Underwood said Mercer is working on a plan to reimburse students for unused university housing and board. The plan will include students who live in the various Loft developments immediately adjacent to the Macon campus that are a part of the university’s housing plan.

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