Higher education is at an inflection point. As college enrollment continues to decline and pressure mounts to demonstrate return on investment, the federal government has responded with a potentially transformative shift: the creation of Workforce Pell Grants.
Included in the sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) recently signed into law, this expansion of Pell Grant eligibility could open the door to new student populations, new revenue streams, and new institutional strategies — if colleges and universities act quickly and strategically.
Traditionally, Pell Grants have been limited to students enrolled in credit-bearing, degree-seeking programs. That changed with the passage of OBBBA. Workforce Pell expands access to federal financial aid for students enrolled in short-term, non-degree training programs that lead directly to high-demand jobs.
Under the law, students may now use Pell Grants to pay for qualifying workforce training programs that meet the following criteria:
This development reflects a growing bipartisan consensus that higher education must play a more responsive role in preparing learners for rapidly evolving labor market needs.
The proposed expansion of Pell Grant funding isn’t just a policy update — it’s a strategic opportunity. Here are some key opportunities institutions should be paying attention to:
Workforce Pell unlocks funding for adult learners, displaced workers, and non-traditional students who may not have the time, resources, or need to pursue a two- or four-year degree. For institutions facing enrollment declines, particularly at the community college level, this represents a powerful new market.
Short-term credentialing programs — especially those that can scale — offer a way to generate net new revenue without over-reliance on traditional tuition models. With federal aid now available, these programs become more accessible and financially sustainable.
The law encourages alignment between institutions and regional labor market demands. Institutions that already collaborate with employers or workforce boards will be well-positioned to fast-track qualifying programs and potentially receive direct funding support or partnership commitments.
Institutions that embrace short-term, skills-based credentialing can position themselves as hubs of workforce development and talent pipelines. This enhances their relevance with local governments, employers, and adult learners alike.
Higher ed is hard — but you don’t have to figure it out alone. We can help you transform challenges into opportunities.
Now is the time for higher ed leaders and innovators to act on these policy changes. Here’s where you can start:
Begin by reviewing current non-credit or certificate programs. Identify which ones could meet the new Workforce Pell criteria with limited modification—particularly programs already tied to industry credentials and high-demand jobs.
Programs must be approved by the U.S. Department of Education and/or state agencies. Start building a compliance plan, including documentation of program outcomes (e.g., job placement rates, earnings gains) and accreditation alignment. Consider appointing a cross-functional task force including financial aid, academic leadership, compliance, and workforce liaisons.
Engage with local employers, chambers of commerce, and workforce boards to validate demand and align curriculum. Public-private partnerships can strengthen program justification and outcomes data—key elements for gaining approval and maintaining eligibility.
Many potential Workforce Pell students are not currently in your database. Institutions must rethink marketing strategies to reach adult learners, incumbent workers, and individuals navigating career transitions. Messaging should highlight affordability, short duration, and job outcomes.
Institutions must monitor the performance of Workforce Pell students and programs. The Department of Education will evaluate outcomes like employment rates and earnings. Underperforming programs may lose eligibility, so building robust reporting systems is not optional — it’s critical.
The Workplace Pell Grant represents more than a funding change — it’s a shift in federal policy philosophy. It signals growing recognition that short, focused training can be just as powerful as a traditional degree in driving upward mobility.
This policy has the potential to reshape the education market within a few years, favoring modular, job-connected learning and expanding access for nontraditional students. For institutions ready to lead, the opportunity is clear.
At Collegis, we partner with institutions to navigate policy shifts like the Workplace Pell with confidence, bringing the strategy, technology, and operational support needed to move quickly, ensure compliance, and deliver real impact.
The future of workforce-connected education is coming fast. Let’s lead it together.
Higher ed is evolving — don’t get left behind. Explore how Collegis can help your institution thrive.
If you’re a university leader today, you’re juggling a lot: enrollment challenges, tightening budgets, shifting student expectations, and the rise of non-traditional competitors. Amid all this, one asset might not be getting the attention it deserves — your university’s brand.
No, not just your logo or tagline. We’re talking about brand equity — the value your institution holds in the minds of students, parents, alumni, faculty, employers, and the public. It’s about reputation, trust, recognition, and connection. And in a competitive market, it matters now more than ever.
Think of it this way: Brand equity is what people think and feel when they hear your university’s name. It’s the difference between being someone’s first-choice school versus just another option.
It shows up in the pride alumni feel when they wear your sweatshirt, the confidence prospective students have when they see your graduates succeed, and the trust employers place in your credentials. It’s shaped by every experience — from the way your website tells your story, to how your faculty engage in the classroom, to the tone of your communications during a crisis.
It’s what drives alumni to give, students to enroll, and faculty to choose you over other institutions. When a university has strong brand equity, people trust it, recognize it, and feel loyal to it. That kind of reputation can spark a ripple effect of positive influence across an entire institution.
Brand equity touches every dimension of institutional life, influencing how people experience, perceive, and engage with your university across the student and stakeholder journey. Let’s take a look at its impact in six key areas.
Choosing a college is a huge decision for students and their families. Today’s students are more informed than ever and expect an institution that’s respected, innovative, and committed to their success.
That’s where your brand can make an impact. If your university has a strong, positive reputation, you’re more likely to make their shortlist. Schools with solid brand equity are seen as high-quality, forward-thinking, and worth the investment, which makes all the difference in a world where competition is fierce and the landscape is changing fast.
It’s not just students who care about a school’s reputation — faculty and academic leaders do too. A strong, well-respected brand sends a clear message: This place is serious about excellence, values academic freedom, and encourages innovation.
It’s not just about prestige — top talent also wants to be somewhere that fosters genuine, supportive relationships with students. A respected brand signals a vibrant academic culture where everyone’s invested in each other’s success.
When a university has strong brand equity, it’s not just about reputation — it’s about the sense of pride and connection it creates. Alumni who feel proud of their alma mater are more likely to stay involved, whether that means attending events, volunteering, or giving back financially.
A strong brand also helps foster a lasting sense of community and belonging well beyond graduation. In short, when your brand is trusted and respected, alumni remain engaged — and they’re more likely to support the institution not only with their resources but by recommending it to future students within their networks.
Whether you’re aiming to partner with major companies, secure government grants, or build global collaborations, having a strong brand can be a significant factor. Organizations want to work with universities they respect, trust, and recognize as leaders in their field.
When your university’s brand is strong and clear, opportunities that are imperative to your institution open up more quickly. Meanwhile, lesser-known schools often struggle to get noticed. Building a strategic and strong brand is your best way to stand out and secure meaningful partnerships that benefit your students and your bottom line.
Higher education is under pressure from various directions shifting demographics, financial constraints, and evolving expectations. A strong brand is essential to stay resilient and relevant.
When controversy, crises, or big changes hit, your brand becomes your safety net. People are far more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt if they already respect and trust you. That reputation can be the difference between weathering the storm and facing long-term damage.
While rankings aren’t everything, they do influence perception. Many ranking systems factor in peer reputation, which is directly tied to your brand. The same goes for media coverage. The stronger your brand, the more likely you are to be recognized as a thought leader and trusted voice in the field.
Higher ed is hard — but you don’t have to figure it out alone. We can help you transform challenges into opportunities.
University leaders can’t afford to view brand as merely a marketing function— it’s so much more than that. Brand must be seen as a strategic asset embedded in everything from big-picture planning to day-to-day decisions. It’s part of how you attract students, build partnerships, and earn trust.
So how can you turn brand equity into a competitive advantage for your institution? Here are a few key moves to get started:
Start with a clear sense of who you are and what makes your school unique. What do you want people to feel when they think of your institution? Your brand promise should reflect your values, vision, and personality — and it should feel real, not like something cooked up in a boardroom.
What matters most to your students, parents, alumni, and faculty? What are they proud of, and what do they wish were better? Take time to listen — through surveys, conversations, and social media — and use those insights to shape your strategy and message.
Your brand shows up everywhere: your website, your campus tours, your social media posts, even how your staff answers the phone. Make sure that story feels authentic, easy to understand, and consistent across every touchpoint. Developing comprehensive brand guidelines, share them widely across the institution, and conduct regular audits to ensure every touchpoint reinforces a unified, memorable experience for all audiences.
Your brand isn’t just a logo — it’s how people talk about your institution and the trust they place in it. That means faculty, staff, students, and alumni all have a role to play. Keep them in the loop, give them the tools to share your story, and make them feel like part of the bigger picture. Want to get more people talking about — and proud of — your school? Make it easy for them. Share what’s happening through newsletters and social media and provide your community with tools that help them show off their connection. When faculty, staff, students, and alumni feel informed, celebrated, and included, they’re more likely to stay engaged — and more likely to brag about being part of your institution.
If you’re promising innovation, inclusivity, or career readiness, you better be delivering that on campus, in the classroom (both online and in person), and beyond. Brand equity grows when expectations match real experiences. That’s why creating a seamless website experience is so important — it directly impacts how much trust students place in your institution and it’s offerings.
Raising awareness isn’t just about marketing louder — it’s about marketing smarter. Use the right mix of channels, from digital ads and social media to speaking opportunities for university leaders. And don’t forget about earned media and storytelling that highlights real student success. Do this by building a strategic content plan that aligns messaging across platforms, targets the right audiences, and consistently showcases the impact your institution makes.
What are people actually saying about your school? Check in regularly using surveys, online reviews, social listening, and even informal feedback. This will help you spot issues early and see what’s working.
Higher ed is changing fast, so your brand needs to be flexible. Stay grounded in your core values, but be open to shifting your tone, visuals, or messaging as your audience and the world around you change.
In an age of increasing competition and shifting student expectations, brand equity is no longer a luxury — it’s a leadership priority. With students having endless options, donors getting more selective, and reputations spreading instantly, your brand equity can be a serious competitive edge.
Investing in a strong, authentic, and trusted brand can lay the foundation for long-term success. The institutions that thrive in the years ahead will be those that treat their brand as a central part of their overall strategy instead of a marketing afterthought.
Because in higher ed, your brand isn’t what you say it is — it’s what people believe it to be. And that belief? That’s your brand equity.
Ready to strengthen your institution’s brand equity? Explore how a strategic marketing approach can help you stand out and thrive. Let’s talk!
Higher ed is evolving — don’t get left behind. Explore how Collegis can help your institution thrive.
Heraclitus once said, “The only certainty in life is change.” I don’t often quote ancient philosophers, but that line feels especially true in the context of higher education.”
We hear a lot about change and change management in higher ed, but we don’t hear enough about how to successfully navigate it and use it as a springboard to propel institutions forward. But change in our industry is no longer episodic; it’s constant. From evolving student expectations to emerging technologies and shifting funding models, institutions are facing wave after wave of disruption. The sheer volume of change within higher education makes effective change management not just important, but essential to success.
Too often, change management in higher education is treated like a checklist: a one-and-done plan that lives and dies with the project at hand. A new technology platform. A revised advising model. A restructured academic department. Each initiative gets a task force, a timeline, maybe a town hall or two. Then it ends.
This reactive, fragmented approach may get things over the finish line, but it can also lead to burnout, resistance, and a lack of long-term adoption. Change fatigue is real, and without a strategic change management plan, it can lead to staff turnover and a revolving door of changes that fail to realize their full potential. Institutions get stuck in a perpetual loop of short-term fixes and long-term frustration.
We can’t continue to treat change management in higher education as a one-time initiative but need to start thinking of it as a core leadership discipline.
Higher ed leaders are navigating an environment where agility is essential. Budgets are tighter. Competition is fiercer. Student needs are more complex. And digital transformation is an ongoing reality that will drive constant change.
But too often, higher education views change management as a reactive function, kicking in when something is already in motion, such as implementing a new CRM, redesigning an advising model, or centralizing key functions and departments. The focus is often on damage control: How do we minimize pushback, smooth over disruptions, and reach the finish line without too much friction?
Start by elevating change management to the strategic level, not only giving it a seat at the leadership table, but also providing it with the same structure, dedicated resources, and strategic oversight as any other core function. Schools that do this are better equipped to:
The bottom line? In this climate, the ability to manage change effectively is a competitive advantage. If you want your institution to be resilient, you need to be deliberate about how you manage change.
To help get you started, here are three practical ways you can help your institution build confidence, strengthen its change management muscle, and create a culture that’s ready to adapt.
Successful change management cannot be ad hoc or reactive. A change management playbook brings clarity and consistency. It outlines the steps, tools, and best practices for managing change from start to finish. When creating your playbook, consider:
Having a playbook doesn’t mean every change looks the same. It means every change follows a thoughtful, proactive approach, building institutional memory and contributing to a proven, repeatable model. It also sends a clear signal to your campus community: We take change seriously, and we’re investing in doing it well.
Don’t silo your playbook. Make it a shared resource across IT, academic affairs, student services, and marketing. The more aligned your teams are, the more cohesive your change efforts will be.
Change doesn’t stick because a VP says so. It sticks because people at every level understand it, own it, and advocate for it.
That’s why identifying change champions is essential. Change champions are individuals with influence in their peer groups who understand the value of the change and are willing to help others navigate the transition. They can be faculty, staff, or student leaders. When building your network, identify advocates across departments and at all levels.
Empower these individuals with context, talking points, and direct lines of communication to leadership. Let them surface concerns early and share success stories along the way. Peer advocacy goes a long way in building trust, momentum, and reinforcing key messages.
The result? Change doesn’t feel imposed. It feels supported, even co-owned.
Communication is the lifeblood of effective change management in higher education. But too often, it’s treated as an afterthought. You can’t lead change in silence, and exceptional leaders should communicate early and often
Your institution should approach communication with intention and discipline:
Clear, frequent communication is one of the most powerful tools you for building trust and reducing resistance. And remember: Communication is a two-way street. Build feedback channels into your plan. Listen actively. Adapt as needed.
So, what does it look like when an institution treats change management as a true leadership discipline? It looks like this:
In this model, change is no longer a disruption. It’s a capability. Something your institution can do reliably, thoughtfully, and at scale.
If you take one thing away from this, let it be that change management isn’t a project, it’s a leadership discipline. It deserves the same strategic attention as budgeting, enrollment planning, or accreditation. Because, when done right, it unlocks the potential of your people, your technology, and your mission.
Change will keep coming, and by making change management a core part of how your institution operates every day, you can take control of it and effectively drive your desired outcomes.
Higher ed is evolving — don’t get left behind. Explore how Collegis can help your institution thrive.
Technology can be one of the most powerful tools an institution has to advance its mission. But without clear, strategic guidance, that same technology can quickly become a source of frustration, inefficiency, and risk. That’s where IT governance comes in.
Today’s colleges and universities are navigating rising cybersecurity threats, tighter budgets, and an expanding ecosystem of platforms and tools. In this environment, IT governance isn’t just an operational necessity — it’s a strategic imperative.
In this article, I’ll define what higher ed IT governance is, why it matters more than ever, and how institutions can build a framework that aligns technology investments with institutional priorities.
Put simply, IT governance is the structure that ensures every technology investment and decision supports the institution’s goals and strategies. While IT management focuses on maintaining day-to-day systems — like patching servers or updating networks — IT governance answers a different set of questions, such as:
A thoughtful approach to IT governance isn’t just a collection of policies. It’s an intentional structure that fosters transparency, collaboration, and accountability across the entire institution.
When done well, governance clarifies how decisions are made, who is responsible for making them, and what criteria determine success. This clarity reduces confusion, builds trust, and ensures that technology investments consistently support the institution’s mission and priorities.
An effective governance framework typically includes:
When institutions embrace governance as a shared responsibility, technology becomes a strategic asset rather than a departmental concern.
The complexity of higher ed technology ecosystems has grown exponentially. Many institutions now rely on cloud platforms, ERP and student information systems, learning management systems, and emerging tools like AI.
Without governance, it’s easy for tech investments to become siloed or redundant — especially when departments act independently. This fragmentation can lead to:
External pressures are also intensifying. Regulatory requirements such as FERPA and GLBA have expanded. Accrediting bodies increasingly expect transparent, documented technology processes. And stakeholders — from faculty to students — demand seamless, secure digital experiences.
In an era of constrained budgets, institutions can’t afford to treat IT governance as an afterthought.
Higher ed is hard — but you don’t have to figure it out alone. We can help you transform challenges into opportunities.
When governance isn’t in place, institutions face serious consequences that extend far beyond the IT department. Gaps in oversight and alignment can ripple across every facet of the organization, undermining financial stability, operational efficiency, and stakeholder confidence. Over time, these issues can erode the very foundation of an institution’s mission and reputation.
Some of the most common (and costly) problems include:
We’ve seen this firsthand, where IT leadership at institutions make major platform decisions without involving departmental leaders. The result was widespread resistance and a perception that technology was imposed rather than collaborative. When people don’t have a seat at the table, they’re far less likely to champion change.
“When people don’t have a seat at the table, they’re far less likely to champion change.”
Good governance is intentional, inclusive, and transparent. It doesn’t happen by accident — it requires clear structures and a shared commitment to align technology decisions with institutional goals. When these elements come together, colleges and universities create an environment where technology can thrive as a strategic asset rather than a siloed expense.
To build this kind of foundation, governance should include:
IT governance in higher ed isn’t just about compliance or risk avoidance. Done well, it empowers colleges and universities to:
As institutions navigate emerging priorities — from AI policies to hybrid learning environments — governance will only grow more critical. If you haven’t assessed your governance framework recently, now is the time.
At Collegis, we help institutions develop and operationalize IT governance models that balance innovation with accountability. Our team brings decades of expertise with deep experience aligning technology strategy with institutional vision.
If you’re ready to move beyond reactive technology decisions and build a governance model that drives lasting success, let’s connect!
Higher ed is evolving — don’t get left behind. Explore how Collegis can help your institution thrive.
In today’s competitive digital landscape, higher education institutions must continually evolve to reach and engage prospective students. YouTube has evolved from a video-sharing platform into a dynamic search engine where students explore campus life, academic programs, and authentic student experiences. That’s why developing and optimizing a higher education YouTube channel is more important than ever.
Smart video SEO strategies can significantly improve visibility, build brand authority, and support enrollment goals for institutions. A well-crafted YouTube strategy plays a crucial role in this effort, ensuring that content reaches and resonates with prospective students.
YouTube SEO goes beyond views. It positions your institution within one of the most influential search engines in the world. YouTube has become the second-largest search engine after Google, and for today’s prospective students — many of whom are digital natives — video is a primary method of discovery and research.
Whether exploring campus life, comparing academic programs, or seeking authentic student voices, prospective learners turn to YouTube to gather insights that influence their decisions. A well-optimized higher education YouTube channel offers a range of benefits, including:
Optimizing your channel ensures your content appears when it matters most and positions your institution as a leader in digital engagement.
“Video content is the future of marketing—it’s authentic, engaging, and capable of building trust with your audience faster than any other medium.”
— Neil Patel, digital marketing expert
Every video your institution shares is more than just content — it’s an opportunity to shape perceptions, highlight your strengths, and connect with your audience. Before diving into more advanced strategies, it’s essential to ensure that each video is built on a solid SEO foundation.
When executed consistently, these foundational elements can make the difference between content that gets buried and content that drives meaningful engagement. Foundational elements include:
Once the foundational elements are in place, it’s time to move beyond the basics. Elevating your higher education YouTube channel requires thoughtful planning and strategic segmentation. This is especially important for institutions with diverse academic offerings and multiple audiences, such as prospective undergraduate and graduate students.
Taking a more advanced approach can help differentiate your content, make navigation easier for users, and deliver tailored experiences that align with varied student needs. To elevate your channel’s performance and support segmented marketing goals:
Higher ed is hard — but you don’t have to figure it out alone. We can help you transform challenges into opportunities.
Even if your department isn’t directly producing every video, there’s still an opportunity to influence engagement and performance. By implementing a few proven tactics, institutions can increase viewer interaction and strengthen their presence on YouTube.
These strategies work in tandem with foundational SEO practices to extend the reach and impact of your video content:
Include clear calls-to-action (CTAs): Ask viewers to like, comment, subscribe, or visit your website. These actions signal relevance to YouTube’s algorithm.
Leverage end screens and cards: Use these to direct viewers to related content, encouraging longer sessions and deeper engagement.
Maintain consistent branding: Ensure videos reflect your institution’s visual identity and messaging tone to reinforce brand equity.
YouTube content shouldn’t exist in a silo. When part of a cohesive higher ed video marketing approach, your higher education YouTube channel becomes a versatile asset that supports communication and engagement across platforms.
To truly maximize its value, it must be woven into your institution’s broader marketing and communication ecosystem. When aligned with your website, email campaigns, and social media channels, your YouTube strategy reinforces key messages and creates a cohesive experience for prospective students.
YouTube videos can be a powerful asset across multiple marketing channels:
YouTube SEO isn’t a one-time effort — it’s a continuous process. Use YouTube Studio to track key performance metrics such as watch time, engagement, and search impressions. These insights help guide your strategy and identify opportunities to improve content.
Monitor analytics regularly, refresh metadata, and adapt to changing viewer behaviors. Institutions that stay agile will be better positioned to engage digital-native audiences.
YouTube remains a powerful tool to build institutional visibility and connect with prospective students. At Collegis Education, our expansive marketing services are backed by deep expertise in higher ed SEO, digital strategy, and content performance. Whether you’re refining your current efforts or starting fresh, a smart, scalable strategy can turn your YouTube channel into a powerful tool for student engagement.
Let’s connect and start building a smarter strategy today.
Higher ed is evolving — don’t get left behind. Explore how Collegis can help your institution thrive.
Congratulations on your recent graduation! All those years of hard work have paid off and have prepared you for the journey ahead. You should be incredibly proud of what you’ve accomplished, and I hope you are excited for what lies ahead.
I remember the mix of emotions: the excitement of stepping into something new, the fear of the unknown, and the deep hope that I’d somehow make an impact. Decades later, those same emotions are still relevant. And if I could go back in time and say a few words to the Kim who stood in her graduation robe, here’s what I’d say:
The highlight reels you see on social media and the stories of overnight successes will undoubtedly tempt you to look for shortcuts. Don’t take the bait.
What appears to be instantaneous success is often built on years of hidden struggle. Success isn’t viral. It’s cumulative. It’s built on tenacity, late nights, and years of quiet persistence. One of the most critical lessons I learned, and one that consistently sets individuals apart, is the unwavering commitment to hard work — especially when no one is watching.
Your degree is a fantastic achievement, but it’s just the start. To truly excel, you must show up every day, both mentally and physically. Take on the unglamorous tasks, master the fundamentals, and keep doing the work, even if you are not getting immediate recognition.
Don’t misunderstand; this isn’t about being a workaholic. It’s about understanding that competence, professional and personal growth, and lasting success are forged through consistent, dedicated effort over time. If you chase shortcuts or expect quick wins, you will ultimately be disappointed. Instead, always strive to deliver more than what’s expected.
There are very few golden tickets in this world, and if you’re waiting for a great opportunity to land in your lap, you might find yourself waiting for a long time.
Your education has provided you with a foundation — now it’s your responsibility to build upon it.
The most significant leaps in my career often came from identifying a gap or a need and then raising my hand to fill it, even if it meant stepping outside my job description. If you uncover a problem, bring forward a solution. Take the initiative and volunteer for projects in addition to your day-to-day responsibilities. You might just discover new areas of interest or open the door to work with different teams that can ultimately propel your career forward.
Coming off an academic career, the term “failure” can be triggering. As students, we often fear failure more than anything. But the truth is that you will fail, and that’s OK. In fact, it’s a given. But failure, when used as a learning opportunity, is a jumping off point — not the end point.
Every misstep, every “no,” every project that does go as planned is not a sign of your inadequacy, but a data point. Think of it as your best instructor. An experiment that reveals what doesn’t work brings you closer to the solution that does. The only real failure in life is giving up, or worse, not trying at all.
When faced with a major setback, you have a choice: Get stuck or grow stronger. Take accountability but choose growth. If you can figure out how to convert setbacks into stepping stones, it can be your most potent superpower.
You’re just getting started, and that’s exciting! Your degree is a testament to your ability to learn. But your degree represents only a starting point. In fact, many of you won’t end or even start your careers in the exact area you studied.
The pace of change in every industry is accelerating, and skills that are valuable today might be obsolete tomorrow, so you must constantly learn and stay current with advancements. AI is a powerful example. Those who spend the time to learn how to leverage AI to work smarter will thrive. Those who do not will be passed up. This is a fact for those starting their career as well as those decades in.
One of the most powerful sources of learning in my career has come from the many informal mentors I’ve had throughout my life. Build a network of good, smart people at all stages in their careers and invest in those relationships. You can learn just as much from someone only a few steps ahead of you as from someone with decades more experience.
Comfort zones are cozy, but they are also dangerously limiting. Some of the best moves I’ve ever made started as risks that scared but also exhilarated me. But they were calculated risks, well thought through, and aligned with where I knew I could make a positive impact.
Don’t leap without a plan, but don’t freeze in fear either. The magic often lives on the other side of uncertainty. For what it’s worth, the biggest regrets usually come from the risks not taken. Opportunities rarely present themselves without an element of uncertainty. Your job is to discern which uncertainties are worth embracing.
The recent college graduates I am blessed to know are some of the brightest, hardest working, most curious, ambitious, and wonderful people (yes, Emma, I am talking about you and all your amazing friends!) You all control your destiny. Your path will not be linear, but it will be yours. Own it. Shape it. And never stop evolving.
And most importantly, remember the wise words of Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it!”
Higher ed is evolving — don’t get left behind. Explore how Collegis can help your institution thrive.
In today’s competitive higher education landscape, institutions can no longer afford to rely on instinct alone when it comes to academic program planning. The stakes are too high and the margin for error too slim.
Leaders are facing increasing pressure to align their portfolios with market demand, institutional mission, and student expectations — all while navigating constrained resources and shifting demographics.
The good news? You don’t have to guess. Market intelligence offers a smarter, more strategic foundation for building and refining your academic program mix.
Most institutions have at least one program that’s no longer pulling its weight — whether due to declining enrollment, outdated relevance, or oversaturated competition. At the same time, there are often untapped opportunities for growth in emerging or underserved fields.
But how do you decide which programs to scale, sustain, or sunset?
Optimizing your portfolio requires more than internal performance metrics. It calls for an external lens — one that brings into view national and regional trends, labor market signals, and consumer behavior. When done effectively, academic portfolio strategy becomes less about trial and error, and more about clarity and confidence.
The strongest portfolio strategies begin with robust external data. At Collegis Education, we draw from sources like the National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS), Lightcast labor market analytics, and Google search trends to assess program performance, student demand, and employment outlooks.
National trends give us the big picture and a foundation to start from. But for our partners, we prioritize regional analysis — because institutions ultimately compete and serve in specific geographic contexts, even with fully online programs. Understanding what’s growing in your state or region is often more actionable than knowing what’s growing nationwide.
Our proprietary methodology filters for:
This data-driven process helps institutions avoid chasing short-term trends and instead focus on sustainable growth areas.
Higher ed is hard — but you don’t have to figure it out alone. We can help you transform challenges into opportunities.
Collegis’ latest program growth analyses — drawing from 2023 conferral data — surface a diverse mix of high-opportunity programs. While we won’t detail every entry here, a few trends stand out:
What’s most important isn’t the specific programs, it’s what they reveal: external data can confirm intuition, challenge assumptions, and unlock new strategic direction. And when paired with regional insights, these findings become even more powerful.
Having market data is just the beginning. The true value lies in how institutions use it. At Collegis, we help our partners translate insight into action through a structured portfolio development process that includes the following:
By grounding these decisions in both internal and external intelligence, institutions can future-proof their portfolios — driving enrollment, meeting workforce needs, and staying mission-aligned.
Program portfolio strategy doesn’t have to be a guessing game. With the right data and a trusted partner, institutions can make bold, confident moves that fuel growth and student success.
Whether you’re validating your instincts or exploring new academic directions, Collegis can help. Our market research and portfolio development services are built to support institutions at every step of the process — with national insights and regional specificity to guide your next move.
Higher ed is evolving — don’t get left behind. Explore how Collegis can help your institution thrive.
The buzz around AI in higher ed is undeniable. The topic dominated conference discussions at ASU + GSV, with nearly every booth, breakout, and keynote referencing AI somehow. When AI gets tossed around so often, it can be hard to differentiate between what’s real and what isn’t.
While the transformative promise of AI is exciting, successful AI implementation requires more than fast adoption. The more important question is: How can institutions move from ideas to impact?
The reality is that achieving meaningful results with AI requires more than just purchasing the latest tool. That’s often the easiest part, but it can also be a trap. Tool and tech procurement, absent a well-informed implementation strategy, can add to your technical debt. It’s critical to look beyond the buzzword and first define where you want your institution to be in the future. With your north star in place, you can determine how AI can play a role in a holistic solution.
Many discussions around AI for higher ed focus on its evolving capabilities to generate content, automate tasks, engage and support students, and handle other critical functions. But what is the impact you’re looking to make, and how are you going to measure the return on investment? Those questions tend to be missing from higher ed’s ongoing AI conversation. Don’t implement tactics (or tools) until you know their role in your broader tech strategy. Too often, there is a heightened sense of urgency to implement and not enough focus on the complexities of weaving these tools into the intricate fabric of an institution. There is no easy button in AI.
Trying to catch the AI hype without having a strategic AI implementation plan is like buying state-of-the-art lab equipment before you’ve decided what type of science courses you are going to offer. Effective integration involves significant change management, process design, and ongoing investment.
For example, many schools already use AI-powered agents to assist with student recruitment by answering prospects’ questions and suggesting next steps. These bots can scale engagement significantly — but to be effective, they require meticulous training, constant monitoring, and attentive human oversight to ensure the interaction is aligned with a school’s culture and values. As technology evolves, the operational model must adapt. Without constant care and feeding, AI tools can become outdated, provide incorrect information, or fail to align with the institution’s unique voice and mission. Remember, technology and tool outputs are only as good as the inputs.
And the investment isn’t just the initial software cost. The investment also includes ongoing commitment to deployment, integration, training, and ensuring the technology drives the desired outcomes. Many underestimate this operational heavy lifting in the rush to adopt AI, yet it’s the linchpin for success.
A more effective, pragmatic approach to AI implementation in higher education begins by identifying the institution’s core challenges and strategic objectives.
Are you focused on reversing enrollment declines? Improving student retention rates? Enhancing support services? Increasing operational efficiency? By defining your goals and measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) from the outset, you’re in the best position to strategically evaluate how AI — alongside other data, technology, and talent resources — can contribute to a solution that supports the entire student lifecycle.
Without this clarity, institutions risk spending significant resources without achieving tangible returns. It’s about focusing efforts, perhaps starting with a contained, controllable area where impact can be carefully monitored and measured, rather than attempting to boil the ocean.
Currently, many institutions are grappling with important discussions around AI ethics, academic integrity, and preventing misuse by students to cheat. It’s important not to get stuck there. Students who want to circumvent rules will find a way. AI is simply the newest tool. Focusing excessively on policing AI use means missing the boat on its strategic potential.
The real opportunity lies in leveraging AI across the entire student lifecycle — from recruitment and enrollment to engagement, support, and retention. AI can personalize outreach, provide 24/7 advising support, identify at-risk students earlier, and automate administrative tasks, freeing up staff for higher-value interactions. It will almost certainly be part of effective solutions, but it shouldn’t be the only part.
In the race to apply AI, we must not forget the crucial role of human intelligence (HI). AI tools, even sophisticated ones, require human oversight. They must train on the correct data and the institution’s values, mission, and unique persona.
Humans are essential for guiding AI, correcting its inevitable errors and ensuring its outputs align with institutional standards. Furthermore, education remains a fundamentally human endeavor. While AI can enhance efficiency and scale, it cannot replace true empathy, mentorship, and social-emotional connection, which are vital to student success and belonging. The most effective approach combines the power of AI with the irreplaceable value of human talent — a synergy Collegis champions through its focus on data, tech, and talent.
The desire to rapidly adopt AI in higher ed is understandable. However, a rushed implementation without a clear strategy is likely to falter. Stepping back to define objectives, plan the integration, and establish metrics is the best way to accelerate the path to meaningful impact.
This more deliberate, strategic approach enables institutions to harness AI’s power effectively, ensuring it serves their unique mission and drives measurable results. It’s about moving beyond the hype and focusing on the pragmatic steps needed to make AI work for higher ed, creating sustainable value for the institution and the students it serves. The journey requires careful navigation, a focus on operational reality, and often, a partner who understands how to bridge the gap between potential and practice.
Higher ed is evolving — don’t get left behind. Explore how Collegis can help your institution thrive.
AI is no longer a distant disruption. It’s already influencing how prospective students and families search, navigate, and make decisions on higher education websites. As teams responsible for delivering seamless digital experiences, we need to understand the behavioral shifts underway and how to respond strategically.
Across the institutions we support, we’re seeing early but consistent signals: users expect smarter, faster, and more personalized interactions. These changes are subtle in some places and dramatic in others. But they’re accelerating.
AI tools like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), ChatGPT, and other large language models are changing how people expect to interact with information. According to a 2023 Pew Research study, 58% of U.S. adults are aware of ChatGPT, and younger audiences are among the most active users. Meanwhile, Google continues testing SGE, which presents AI-generated summaries above traditional search results.
Students are learning to type full, natural language questions — and they expect precise, context-aware responses in return. This behavior is now showing up in on-site search patterns.
Across higher ed websites, here are a few things we’re noticing:
Higher ed is hard — but you don’t have to figure it out alone. We can help you transform challenges into opportunities.
It’s important to say: AI-driven search doesn’t eliminate the need for strong site structure. Navigation menus, clear page hierarchy, and thoughtful content design still matter — a lot. Most users move fluidly between browsing and searching. What’s changing is the expectation for speed, relevance, and control.
To meet this moment, higher ed websites should focus on:
This is not a single redesign or one-time upgrade. Optimizing your site for how people actually use it needs to be a continuous process.
This should include the following:
Higher ed website performance is directly tied to enrollment growth. According to a 2024 survey conducted by UPCEA and Collegis Education to better understand the perspectives of post-baccalaureate students, 62% of respondents said not being able to easily find basic program information on the institution’s website would cause them to disengage.
The survey focuses on program preferences, delivery methods, and expectations during the inquiry and application processes and offered insights into how these preferences vary by age and degree level.
To stay competitive and relevant, institutions need to invest in both smart search experiences and a streamlined digital journey. Here are some high-level recommendations:
The future of higher ed websites isn’t just about making information accessible. It’s about making it findable, meaningful, and actionable – and being able to act fast and stay committed to this work.
Institutions that recognize how AI is already reshaping user expectations, and respond with thoughtful, strategic digital experiences, will meet today’s learners where they are and build trust for the long-term.
We’re paying close attention to these shifts and helping institutions make smart, scalable updates. If you’re rethinking how your website supports recruitment, engagement, or conversion, now is the right time to start. Collegis Education supports institutions with strategic marketing and web solutions designed to meet these evolving needs.
Let’s talk about how we can work together to future proof your web and digital experiences to best support enrollment growth for years to come.
See how your website stacks up — Contact us to request your AI Readiness Assessment.
Higher ed is evolving — don’t get left behind. Explore how Collegis can help your institution thrive.
Let’s cut to it: Higher ed is sprinting toward the AI revolution with its shoelaces untied.
Presidents are in boardrooms making bold declarations. Provosts are throwing out buzzwords like “machine learning” and “predictive modeling.” Enrollment and marketing teams are eager to automate personalization, deploy chatbots, and rewrite campaigns using tools like ChatGPT.
The energy is real. The urgency is understandable. But there’s an uncomfortable truth institutions need to face: You’re not ready.
Not because you’re not visionary. Not because your teams aren’t capable. But because your data is a disaster.
Somewhere along the way, higher ed started treating AI like a miracle shortcut — a shiny object that could revolutionize enrollment, retention, and student services overnight.
But AI isn’t a magic wand. It’s more like a magnifying glass, exposing what’s underneath.
If your systems are fragmented, your records are outdated, and your departments are still hoarding spreadsheets like it’s 1999, AI will only scale the chaos. It won’t save you – it’ll just amplify your problems.
Take the California State University system. They announced their ambition to become the nation’s first AI-powered public university system. But after the headlines faded, faculty across the system were left with more questions than answers. Where was the strategy? Who was in charge? What’s the plan?
The disconnect between vision and infrastructure was glaring.
Elsewhere, institutions have already bolted AI tools onto outdated systems, without first doing the foundational work. The result? Predictive models that misidentify which students are at risk. Dashboards that contradict themselves. Chatbots that confuse students more than they support them.
This isn’t an AI failure. It’s a data hygiene failure.
Before your institution invests another dollar in AI, ask these real questions:
If the answer is “not yet,” then congratulations — you’ve found your starting point. That’s your AI strategy.
Because institutions that are succeeding with AI, like Ivy Tech Community College, didn’t chase the trend. They built the infrastructure. They did the work. They cleaned up first.
Let’s be honest: there’s no shortage of vendors selling the AI dream right now. Slick demos, lofty promises, flashy outcomes. But most of them are missing the part that actually matters — a real, proven plan to get from vision to execution.
This is where Collegis is different. We don’t just sell transformation. We deliver it. Our approach is grounded in decades of experience, built for higher ed, and designed to scale.
Here’s how we help institutions clean up the mess and build a foundation that makes AI actually work:
Our proprietary Connected Core solution connects systems, eliminates silos, and creates a single source of truth. It’s the backbone of innovation — powering everything from recruitment to reporting with real-time, reliable data.
We don’t just implement tools. We align technology to your mission, operational goals, and student success strategy. And we help you implement AI ethically, with governance frameworks that prioritize transparency and accountability.
We transform raw data into real insights. From integration and warehousing to dashboards and predictive models, we help institutions interpret what’s really happening — and act on it with confidence.
We help you reimagine how your institution operates. By identifying inefficiencies and eliminating redundancies, we create more agile, collaborative workflows that maximize impact across departments.
Our solutions enable personalized student engagement, supporting the full lifecycle from inquiry to graduation. That means better conversion rates, stronger persistence, and improved outcomes.
Clean data isn’t a project — it’s a prerequisite. It’s the thing that makes AI more than a buzzword. More than a dashboard. It’s what turns hype into help.
And when you get it right, the impact is transformational.
“The level of data mastery and internal talent at Collegis is some of the best-in-class we’ve seen in the EdTech market. When you pair that with Google Cloud’s cutting-edge AI innovation and application development, you get a partnership that can enable transformation not only at the institutional level but within the higher education category at large.”
— Brad Hoffman, Director, State & Local Government and Higher Education, Google
AI can only be as effective as the foundation it’s built on. Until your systems are aligned and your data is trustworthy, you’re not ready to scale innovation.
If you want AI to work for your institution — really work — it starts with getting your data house in order. Let’s build something that lasts. Something that works. Something that’s ready.
Curious what that looks like? Let’s talk. We’ll help you map out a real, achievable foundation for AI in higher ed.
You stuck with me to the end? I like you already! Let’s keep the momentum going. If your wheels are turning and you’re wondering where to start, our Napkin Sketch session might be the perfect next step. It’s a fast, collaborative way to map out your biggest data and tech challenges—no pressure, no sales pitch, just a conversation. Check it out!
Higher ed is evolving — don’t get left behind. Explore how Collegis can help your institution thrive.