 At the time, several noted linguists and philologists, including Lucian Müller, Franz Anton Schiefner, Daniel Chwolson, and , taught at the academy.In 1880, Kriaučiūnas completed his exams and received a candidate degree in theology, but as a stipend recipient he would have been obligated to work in the Archdiocese of Mogilev.Therefore, Kriaučiūnas did not accept the final ordination to priesthood and returned to Lithuania.