Public perceptions about value and long-term financial viability are the most pressing issues for higher education leaders who responded to the latest ACE Pulse Point survey.
Released yesterday, the report shares insights from more than 300 senior leaders from institutions across the country and assesses how federal policy changes are impacting campuses and, in turn, how institutions are responding.
“As the new academic year begins, postsecondary leaders are confronting a volatile environment shaped by public skepticism about the value of college, heightened federal and state policy intervention, and mounting institutional pressures around finances and enrollment,” the survey authors, ACE’s Ezequiel Jimenez and Danielle Melidona, write.
In addition to exploring the issues that are top of mind for leaders for both their institutions and the broader higher education sector, the report examines recent changes at the federal level and how prepared campuses are to respond. Highlights include:
- Financial Aid: Approximately 85 percent of presidents reported a reduced ability to provide accurate and timely financial aid offers, with over a third (36 percent) indicating their ability was moderately or significantly reduced.
- One Big Beautiful Bill Provisions (OBBB): Nearly half of presidents (46 percent) reported being extremely or moderately prepared to comply with the new federal reporting requirements associated with the OBBB’s new Earnings Accountability Framework, while 7 percent indicated they were not prepared at all.
- International Students: The decline in international student enrollment has had a tangible fiscal impact on campuses, with nearly three-fourths (73 percent) of presidents reporting they had experienced a decrease in revenues due to the decline.
The survey also asked leaders about federal research funding and accreditation challenges and evaluated how ready leaders feel to navigate the challenges ahead.
Read the full report here.