In higher ed, the pressure is mounting—and the dollars are dwindling.
According to a new survey reported by Inside Higher Ed, nearly a third of colleges expect a decrease in student support budgets over the next three years. Fewer than a quarter anticipate an increase. And for most campuses, the response is predictable: reduce services, reassign staff, and hope students still succeed.
But what if the solution isn’t cutting…it’s collaborating?
A Missed Opportunity in Plain Sight
Even as institutions face hiring freezes and rising caseloads, many students still aren’t using the support services that exist. In the same survey, students cited limited availability, inconvenient hours, and unclear relevance as barriers. And yet, 59% said financial aid counseling was critical to their retention. Nearly half said the same about mental health support.
What’s clear is this: students need help. Institutions want to help. But going it alone, especially under financial strain, isn’t sustainable.
That’s where public-private partnerships can shift the equation.
Partnerships, Not Transactions
The most effective collaborations aren’t transactional, they’re strategic. They reduce administrative lift while extending capacity. They align with campus goals, build student trust, and bring innovation without disruption.
This isn’t hypothetical. We’ve seen institutions transform their tutoring models through intentional partnerships: replacing office-bound support with flexible, student-led networks; expanding reach without increasing headcount; and turning underutilized services into high-impact touchpoints for equity and retention.
The result? More students accessing help. More staff freed to focus on development. More data to drive smarter decisions.
A Strategic Moment for Higher Ed
If you’re facing difficult decisions about how to stretch your budget without compromising outcomes, this is the moment to ask:
- Who can help us scale what works?
- Where can we reduce friction and increase flexibility?
- How can we build systems that outlast the crisis?
Final Thought: The Future of Support Is Collaborative
When resources are constrained, partnerships aren’t a last resort. They’re a strategic imperative.
Because sustainable student support will come not from doing more with less, but from doing differently with purpose.
If you’re exploring new models for tutoring support, we’d love to connect and share what we’re seeing across campuses nationwide. Let’s think outside the box and put students at the center of the solution.
