This Week In College Viability (TWICV)

A long start to this week's podcast.  I take a detailed look at how colleges spin their enrollment and focus on the financial health data of one college in PA as an example.

Sign up for regular updates on the financial health of colleges here.

Other stories include:
+ Higher ed spending up as enrollment plummets at Illinois universities
+ Impact of Federal Policy Shifts: Higher Education Enrollment Cliff or Moderate Decline?
+ SB 1 is forcing Ohio universities to cut dozens of degree programs
+ Hundreds Of U.S. Colleges Poised To Close In Next Decade, Expert Says
+ The Great Inadvertent American Shakedown

I talk about college finances and colleges spinning their numbers regularly.  This is the first time I have had a CFO (interim) come onto the podcast to share the stark reality of the financial challenges at a specfic college - Albright College (PA).

Larry Bomback has been the interim CFO since late 2024.  Albright College has been in the news about its financial plight for many months.

In this special podcast episode, Larry addresses the challenges and adds details of the recovery plan put in place by the new leadership team at Albright.

Some will question the logic and likelihood of the recovery plan, but Larry addresses the challenges head-on and without apology.

His approach is rare in today's higher education market.

I am releasing my first 'Best Of' This Week in College Viability podcast.  You will here from 2 short clips during the podcast from former college presidents.

Dr. Paula Langteau will discuss 3 key metrics for college closure and than add more on why colleges don't announce their closures sooner.

Dr. Ricardo Azziz discusses 3 topics on mergers and acquisistions.

The first clip will be the reasons why college leaders need to start the merger discussions early.

The second shares some perspective on why this is the consolidation era for higher education.

Finally, Dr. Azziz shares his logic behind the philosophy of starting M&A discussions in a 1:1 format inside of organizations.

Lots and lots and lots of enrollment announcements last week.  So, I decided to do a little tally exercise.  

You will be interested to see how many of these greate enrollment announcements were carefully qualified announcements and how many were clearly legitimate.   I had 4 brave colleges that announced decreased enrollment last week

Stories and commentary for August 25th:

+  What does it mean when a college announces a ‘record enrollment’?  We will use the College Viability 7-second check to find out.

+ Strange happenings at Our Lady of the Lake University in TX

+ An IU professor whines about cutbacks on low enrollment majors

+ How about yet another college getting HLC accreditation while graduating less than 30% of its students in 4 years.

+ In this week’s wrap, an update on the FREE college viability report at MyCollegeViability.com   (Here is the link to get the FREE report for the private college of your choice.

Show Notes and today's story links:

Bennington College announces layoffs of 15 staff members

At DePaul, we major in you  

As Fall Semester Opens, Several Major Universities Tout Record Enrollments

Our Lady of the Lake students say OLLU gave them no viable options to complete their degree

University of Oregon faculty speak out against looming layoffs next month

Indiana's attack on IU is gutting academic programs | Opinion

Some Emerson faculty have lost trust in their college president

Gen Z men with college degrees now have the same unemployment rate as non-grads—a sign that the higher education payoff is dead

ATU (Arkansas Tech) Passes HLC Assurance Review With Flying Colors

Here are the questions Dr. Azziz answered during the podcast

 1. You are in the middle of a research project to determine the seating capacity of the entire higher education market.  Talk about that project.

2.  When we look at higher education, it is clear that there are too many colleges and too many colleges seats.  How did we get to this point?

3.  Is it fair to say that higher educationis is in a consolidation era?

4.  You have two books on mergers in higher education.  The second one is coming out soon.  Talk about a few of the themes you cover in your books.

5.  I have heard you talk about colleges waiting too long to look at merger options. What do you mean by that?

6.  Let's address this from a faculty perspective.  What signs should college faculty look for to determine if their college is in financial distress.

7.  You have been a college president a few times.  Make me a college president for a day.  Give me guidance on what my first steps should be if I need to introduce the possibility of a merger with my board.

8.  Let's talk about students and families and their college decision process.  As they listen to this podcast, what guidance would you give them as they create their college list?

Contact SPH Consulting Group

TWICV News and Commentary for August 18 2024    

I had a higher ed friend send me a story on Sunday about an Iowa private college.  The spin was silly and obvious.  A look at their financials suggests this college is a likely closure candidate when the Higher Education tipping point hits.   I could have pulled a half-dozen of these type of stories in just the past week.

This is an industry living on spin.  They couch their press releases in carefully worded avoidance of hardly any details.  Graduation rates are hidden.  Reinforcing my view that too many colleges are all about enrollment and not outcomes.

This will not end well for individual colleges, this nation, or hundreds of thousands of students that have been or will be negatively impacted by the abysmal financial health of hundreds of public and private colleges.

Top news and commentary this week:

+  Lots of closures and cutbacks

+ It is spin season as colleges take data for a fictional ride from reality

+ A college hid a June layoff announcement

+ St. Augustine won an temporary injunction against its accreditor.

+ Goodbye, $165,000 Tech Jobs. Student Coders Seek Work at Chipotle.

Show notes:

UConn closes 7 academic programs after low-enrollment review

University of Utah details course cuts

Monmouth College phasing out ten majors, enhancing other programs following academic prioritization process

Avila University Announces Leadership Transition

Local colleges navigate uncertain times with international students

Aquinas College is growing, but still provides the ‘sanctuary’ of a smaller school

Suffolk University laid off 35 people earlier this summer

Saint Augustine's University announces Sept. 2 start for fall semester, new board chair appointed

New Illinois law set to shake college admissions

A Better Model for College Accreditation

Goodbye, $165,000 Tech Jobs. Student Coders Seek Work at Chipotle.

Shellee Howard is the founder and CEO of College Ready, a college graduate, and a Certified Educational Planner. 

Her son graduated from Harvard in the spring of 2016 debt free! Her daughter attended the University of Alabama and completed the Nursing program at CBU, also debt free! 

Her passion is helping students all over the world get into the best possible college for them. 

Shellee has traveled around the world helping students plan for their “perfect match” college. She believes that no two students are the same and that each student must have their own strategy and plan to be successful. Each student has gifts and talents that will set him or her apart from their competition. 

Shellee has appeared on television and is frequently interviewed by newspapers and magazines. She has spoken on the topic of successful college admissions to audiences all over the world.

Recommended Podcast Audience

• Professional Moms: Busy mothers with demanding careers—doctors, lawyers, engineers, CPAs—who are juggling work and parenting. They value education deeply, want their kids to succeed, and are seeking expert guidance to avoid costly college mistakes without spending hours on research.
• Families with Teens: Parents navigating the middle and high school years, especially those with blended families or multiple children. They want to plan early and make strategic choices that optimize college outcomes and minimize debt.
• Parents of Scholar-Athletes: Families investing heavily in private coaching and sports programs, hoping for athletic scholarships. They need clarity on the actual odds, how to balance academics with athletics, and where to redirect their resources effectively.
• Personal Finance–Savvy Parents : Financially literate or financially curious parents looking for ROI on college education. They may already follow finance podcasts or work with advisors and are eager to understand scholarships, aid strategies, and how college fits into their bigger financial picture.
• Faith-Guided Families Seeking Purposeful Education: Parents who value faith, service, and purpose-driven paths. They resonate with values like community impact, giving back, and raising resilient, intentional young adults. This audience is open to stories that blend personal conviction with educational success.

Here are some of the questions Shelle answered during our podcast.

• You helped your son get into Harvard—and graduate debt-free. What was the very first step you took when he said he wanted to go Ivy League?
• What are the biggest misconceptions high-earning parents have about financial aid—and how can they avoid missing out on money they do qualify for?
• You often say that getting into college is about “standing out”—but what does that actually look like on an application?
• When is the right time to start planning for college—and what should parents do if they feel like they’re already behind?
• What role does storytelling play in a strong college application—and how do you help students uncover theirs?
• What’s the Student Aid Index—and why should every parent of a teen know theirs?
• What do you wish every professional mom knew about navigating the college journey with her teen—before senior year hits?

This is the podcast that talks about the financial health and viability of public and private colleges with data, details and perspectives offered nowhere else.  This podcast is the alternative media source for colleges, students, families, and communities.  I work every week to expose the spin, the stalls, and the silliness that pervades Higher Education in America.

This week:

+ Bellwether warns of school closures, consolidations ahead.  You will be surprised when I share what part of the market this headline addresses.

+  Peter Khoury:  The Manufactured Crisis: College Closures Are Not Abrupt. They're Allowed.

+  Why Elite Colleges Are Still Accepting Students From Their Waitlists

+ A day late and a dollar short story on a public college in Illinois.
+  And more . . . . . .

Show Notes:
Private College Advanced Financial Compass
2025 College Viability App for Executive Analysis
2025 College Majors Completion App  (Retails at $799.  Now at $199 through August 29th)

Students & Families:  FREE College Viability report on the college of your choice.

News story links:

Academic Program Cuts Looming At University Of Nebraska

Stanford University to eliminate 363 workers as federal funding cuts, tax hikes hit home

UNH to lay off 23 employees, cut 13 unfilled positions, school president says

The Manufactured Crisis: College Closures Are Not Abrupt. They're Allowed.

Clarks Summit University One Year Later

Bellwether warns of school closures, consolidations ahead

Why Elite Colleges Are Still Accepting Students From Their Waitlists

Duke reopens waitlist, enrolls roughly 50 more students to Class of 2029

SIU Carbondale enhances efforts to recruit and support international students

This Week in College Viability is the alternative higher education media source for college stakeholders.

This was a big weekend here at College Viability.  We released our first fully automated College Viability report for student and families

The free and paid versions are similar to the Kelly Blue Book for cars.  KBB kicks the tires on cares.  Our apps kick the financial health of colleges.

The app for students & families also serves as a 'REVERSE FAFSA".  Since families submit their financial data to FAFSA, it is only fair that there is a resource for students & families to see a colleges financial data.  Of course, we have explanations and comparisons in our apps.
 

Shortly, we will have a custom pdf that students can use to ask specific questions about the financial health of the colleges they are considering.  Similar products will also be out soon for High School counselors, and then college faculty and staff.

News stories and commentary this week:

+ Too many closure and cutback announcements.  I have never seen this many in the 3 plus years I have been doing this podcast.

+  The American Bar Association Needn’t Accredit Law Schools – I will share how this applies to college accreditors

+  Forbes warns:  International College Students Could Drop By 150,000 This Fall, Report Warns

+  Students in neighboring states can get the Iowa tuition rate at UNI this fall

+  The Enemy Within: Former College Presidents Offer Warnings

Show notes:

Northwestern, Barnard announce staff layoffs linked to federal funding cuts, debt

Moody Bible Institute lays off roughly 9% of staff, as small religious schools nationwide struggle with enrollment

Meredith College laying off 6% of workforce: 'A gut punch'

Elon University announces pause on hiring vacant faculty, staff positions for 2025-26

SOU President: ‘Today we are declaring exigency,’ ‘building’ to a $60 million university, 15% off current budget

University of Houston language programs shrink as students choose other fields

International College Students Could Drop By 150,000 This Fall, Report Warns

Students in neighboring states can get the Iowa tuition rate at UNI this fall

The Enemy Within: Former College Presidents Offer Warnings

The American Bar Association Needn’t Accredit Law Schools