The University Business Podcast

The Impending Federal Student Loan Drought - Can Institutional Loans Provide Relief?

In the wake of major shifts in Title IV borrowing limits, higher education institutions face an urgent imperative: rethinking how graduate and professional students finance their education. With the removal of Grad Plus loans, the federal "shock absorbers" that once bridged the gap between federal aid and the cost of attendance are disappearing. This timely podcast episode explores the impending "student loan drought" and the emerging necessity for institutions to build robust, mission-aligned institutional loan programs. Our guest, Lori Harton, explains why financing is no longer just a back-office financial aid issue—it is a critical enrollment strategy that will determine which institutions preserve access and maintain enrollment stability over the next decade. What You’ll Learn – The Institutional Lending Strategy: * The Policy Shift: Understanding the new caps on graduate, professional, and Parent PLUS loans and why the federal landscape is becoming more restrictive. * The "Canyon" Gap: How to analyze your institution’s specific funding gaps, especially in high-cost professional pathways like medicine and law. * Breaking Misconceptions: Debunking the myth that institutional loans are inherently reckless, and recognizing why they require a collaborative approach across enrollment, finance, and compliance. * Strategic Design: How to price loans based on mission rather than margin, and how to wrap support services around the debt to ensure student success. * Borrower Experience: Positioning financing as a tool for success rather than a penalty, and leveraging technology to manage the full life cycle of a loan. When federal options fall short, institutions cannot afford to be reactive. The risk is no longer just about making loans—the risk is doing nothing and acting surprised when enrollment softens. From risk management to personalized student support, this episode provides a roadmap for turning a financial challenge into an institutional strength. Podcast Guest Lori Hartung Regional Executive ECSI For more information on navigating these changes in student financial services, visit https://home.ecsi.net/solutions/servicingselect [https://home.ecsi.net/solutions/servicingselect]

Ep. 21: Reframing quality in a changing credential economy

The growth of micro‑credentials, short‑term certificates and alternative learning pathways has created new options for students and new pressures for institutions.

Ep. 20: Why completion is not enough for community colleges

One Million Degrees CEO Aarti Dhupelia explains why community colleges must invest more in helping students transition into careers to deliver real economic mobility.

Ep. 19: Leading the liberal arts in the age of AI

With guest Gregor Thuswaldner, provost of La Roche University (Penn.).

Ep. 18: Reintroducing diversity in 2026

Paullette Granberry Russell, president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, joins the podcast to discuss what it takes to recapture the narrative around DEI initiatives—and perhaps even appeal to members who’ve historically denounced it.