The Key with Inside Higher Ed Ep. 169: College Financial Planners Embrace Flexibility
Aug 14, 2025
Kara Freeman, President and CEO of NACUBO, shares insights on how colleges are adapting budgeting practices amidst economic uncertainty, focusing on flexibility and diversification of revenue streams. Dee Goines, higher education lead at KI, presents findings from a study on strategic and master plans across multiple states, revealing key issues like vague pedagogy and deferred maintenance. Both guests emphasize the importance of inclusive planning and innovative learning environments to meet evolving educational needs.
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Shorter Budgets For Greater Nimbleness
- Colleges are shifting from annual to shorter-term budgets to stay nimble amid volatility.
- NACUBO members use modeling, shared services, and AI for faster enrollment and financial forecasting.
Recover Students And Share Services
- Design programs targeting stopouts and those with some college but no degree to recover enrollment.
- Explore shared service and shared class models across institutions to reduce costs and expand offerings.
Policy Chaos Undermines Financial Planning
- Constant federal policy churn creates planning paralysis for chief business officers.
- CBOs need stability because they ‘thrive on certainty’ and current chaos undermines basic financial planning.