This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for May 18, 2026

This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for June 8, 2026

In this episode of This Week in College Viability, He highlights a growing wave of layoffs, academic cuts, hiring freezes, and financial distress across higher education, arguing that these developments confirm the industry is in long-term decline. Gary cites recent budget reductions and workforce cuts at institutions including Kent State, Colorado State, Portland State, the University of Oregon, and the University of Maryland. He also chats about some colleges that publicly challenge poor financial ratings from the new Forbes college financial grades. Stocker focuses heavily on Westminster University and La Salle University, arguing that their public reassurances conflict with enrollment declines, shrinking revenues, and reduced endowment values shown in federal and audited financial data. Throughout the podcast, he stresses that graduation rates and accreditation alone are not reliable indicators of institutional stability, especially when colleges face persistent enrollment losses and financial strain. Stocker introduces his related podcasts, Kitchen Table College Chat and Beyond the College Brochure, both aimed at challenging traditional college marketing narratives and encouraging greater transparency. In the final segment, he discusses a Forbes article by Ryan Craig about “healthcare donut degrees,” criticizing colleges that offer healthcare-related majors without guaranteed clinical placements required for graduation and licensure. Using his own medical laboratory science background as an example, Stocker argues that too many institutions create revenue-generating degree programs without providing the full educational pathway students need to complete them successfully. He closes by urging families to seek independent financial and academic data rather than relying solely on college marketing materials or sponsored college-ranking websites. Show Notes: + College Viability Inspection Report [https://www.mycollegeviability.com/]+ 2026 College Majors Completion App [https://collegeviability.com/products/ols/products/2026-college-majors-completion-app-for-academic-leaders] +  Kitchen Table College Chat podcast [https://kitchentablecollegeconversations.transistor.fm/] +  Beyond the College Brochure podcast [https://beyondthebrouchure.transistor.fm/] Story links: ‘It’s Just Been Agony’: Facing a Big Deficit, the New School Begins Layoffs [https://www.chronicle.com/article/its-just-been-agony-facing-a-big-deficit-the-new-school-begins-layoffs?sra=true] Kent State, Colorado State and other universities turn to budget cuts [https://www.highereddive.com/news/kent-state-colorado-state-budget-cuts/821868/%20] Westminster University (UT) disputes Forbes' assessment after receiving failing financial grade [https://kutv.com/news/local/westminster-university-disputes-forbes-assessment-after-receiving-failing-financial-grade%20] Pa. college’s (Albright) touted $10M surplus was less than half that: audit [https://www.pennlive.com/education/2026/06/pa-colleges-touted-10m-surplus-was-less-than-half-that-audit.html%20] La Salle University’s accreditation reaffirmed by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education [https://www.lasalle.edu/news/la-salle-universitys-accreditation-reaffirmed-by-the-middle-states-commission-on-higher-education/] Despite Headwinds, College Enrollment Increases Nationwide Once Again [https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2026/06/04/despite-headwinds-college-enrollment-increases-nationwide-once-again/%20] Universities Are Selling Healthcare Donut Degrees [https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryancraig/2026/06/05/universities-are-selling-healthcare-donut-degrees/%20]   [https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2026/06/04/despite-headwinds-college-enrollment-increases-nationwide-once-again/%20]

This Week In College Viability (TWICV) Special with Greg Chick from NILnomics.com

In this special episode of This Week in College Viability, Gary Stocker interviews NILnomics  founder Greg Chick about the rapidly changing financial landscape of college athletics. Greg explains how difficult it is to obtain transparent financial data from college athletic departments, despite many schools being public institutions. He argues that one of the biggest misconceptions about college sports finances is that paying athletes is causing financial instability, when in reality enormous portions of athletic budgets already go toward coaches, administrators, and support staff.  The conversation also explores the widening financial gap between major Power Four athletic programs and smaller colleges, the growing “pay-to-play” culture in youth and college sports, and the future of Olympic and non-revenue sports programs. Greg predicts that some sports cuts may occur but does not believe widespread elimination of Olympic sports is likely because athletics are deeply embedded in American culture and college enrollment strategies. The discussion also covers NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), congressional efforts to reshape NCAA rules, collective bargaining for athletes, and how financially challenged colleges increasingly use athletics as an enrollment tool. Overall, the episode presents college athletics as a massive business ecosystem where financial transparency, institutional priorities, and athlete compensation are becoming impossible to ignore.

This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for June 1, 2026

"We are #3. We are #3.  Feedspot has 'This Week in College Viability' as the #3 podcast for college students and families. College Viability, LLC continues to develop more and better content and apps for students, families, and other college stakeholders. This week we hit on college sports cutbacks and focus our attention on the need for private, independent sources to monitor and report on the financial health and viability of colleges. Product links: College Viability Inspection Report [https://www.mycollegeviability.com/] PDS Private College Financial Compass [https://advcompass.perspectivedatascience.com/?ref=college_viability] Story links: + Loyola University Maryland eliminates 66 jobs amid $20 million deficit [https://www.thebanner.com/education/higher-education/loyola-university-maryland-deficit-HG4AZKIQERF7HGOV6NQR55WR3M/%20] + Santa Monica College’s College Board erupts over layoffs as financial crisis deepens [https://www.smdp.com/college-board-erupts-over-layoffs-as-financial-crisis-deepens/%20] + Forbes:  'Going to college' is worth it. [https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2026/05/17/going-to-college-yields-strong-financial-gains-finds-new-large-scale-study/%20] + Students surprised to see Simpson sports teams slashed [https://who13.com/news/students-surprised-to-see-simpson-sports-teams-slashed/] + 18 years ago, Coloradans started having fewer babies. Now it’s a higher education problem [https://www.denverpost.com/2026/05/31/colorado-higher-education-enrollment-cliff/%20] + New financial grades raise concerns about colleges' long-term stability [https://abc11.com/post/forbes-college-financial-grades-raise-stability-questions-families-highlight-gaps-among-triangle-schools/19202653/%20]

This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for Memorial Day 2026

While I published a podcast episode today, the day is in honor of those who gave their last full measure of devotion in service to you, me and this country. As the higher education industry struggles through enormous challenges, let us never forget those whose struggles end their life on this earth. Show notes and links. Baldwin Wallace Announces Another Round of Program and Budget Cuts [https://www.clevescene.com/news/baldwin-wallace-announces-another-round-of-program-and-budget-cuts/] Simpson College cuts sports programs to address budget deficit [https://www.kcci.com/article/simpson-college-budget-deficit-cuts-swimming-shooting-sports/71366168] Boulder’s Naropa University (CO) announces significant faculty layoffs amid budget crisis [https://www.dailycamera.com/2026/05/21/naropa-boulder-layoff-faculty-budget/] Cleveland State projects tuition revenue shortfall as Kent State adopts smaller budget [https://www.crainscleveland.com/education/ccl-csu-kent-tuition-20260521/] University of Oregon faces $65M budget gap as out of state enrollment drops [https://www.kezi.com/news/local/university-of-oregon-faces-65m-budget-gap-as-out-of-state-enrollment-drops/article_23a4c4f7-ce25-42cd-8248-fbf65047202d.html] Budget Deficits Threaten More Flagship Universities [https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2026/05/19/budget-deficits-threaten-more-flagship-universities/] College Viability Inspection Report for Bethany College (WV) [https://inspection.mycollegeviability.com/colleges/bethany-college-wv/] Financial Report Card: The Weakest And Strongest Private Colleges In America [https://www.forbes.com/sites/schifrin/2026/05/22/financial-report-card-the-weakest-and-strongest-private-colleges-in-america/] The Crisis in College Accreditation and Why It Matters [https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/crisis-college-accreditation-and-why-it-matters] Get access to the College Viability Inspection Report [https://www.mycollegeviability.com/] Get access to the 2026 College Majors Completion App [https://collegeviability.com/products/ols/products/2026-college-majors-completion-app-for-academic-leaders]

This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for May 18, 2026

Welcome to podcast number 200! If you follow the podcasting world, you are aware that almost all podcast efforts never get to a 10 episode.  I know why.  It ain’t easy to put together 20-30 minutes of interesting and entertaining content every week.  Luckily, I stumbled on Google Alerts when I started the show – and of course thanks to those many, many colleges who post content worthy of use on the show. I am at the point now, where I reject more content for the show than I use.  I have developed my own internal judgement for what content is worthy for my listeners.   So with that, this week we have:  + Colorado cuts state aid to private college students.  Very strange. + “pretty despicable’ is a student description of Hampshire College. + Some New Hampshire spin on enrollment + South Carolina doesn’t have any calculators that work.  They need an emergency $25M. + Wrap:  Moving the podcast toward more student and family content.  I will tell you why. Show notes and links: Newly released:  The College Viability Inspection Report.  Available here [https://www.mycollegeviability.com/]. Portland State to cut two legacy programs, lay off 52 staffers in budget balancing effort [https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/14/psu-cut-legacy-programs-layoff/] Declining enrollment is driving a $12 million budget deficit at the University of Vermont [https://vtdigger.org/2026/05/13/declining-enrollment-is-driving-a-12-million-budget-deficit-at-the-university-of-vermont/] OCU to stay open for now, employees still waiting to be paid  (Oakland City University) [https://www.14news.com/2026/05/13/ocu-stay-open-now-employees-still-waiting-be-paid/] Colorado lawmakers pass bill to cut state financial aid for students at private universities [https://www.9news.com/article/news/education/colorado-bill-cuts-state-financial-aid-for-private-university-students/73-fa7c0936-d21b-4b69-a207-2812fa00531e] ‘An urgent operational reality’: Southern Oregon University faces looming cash shortfall [https://www.highereddive.com/news/southern-oregon-university-cash-shortfall/811425/] ‘Pretty despicable’: Hampshire College closure leaves students and parents scrambling to figure out next steps [https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/05/15/metro/hampshire-college-students-financial-%E2%80%9Caid/] Bucking national projections, some N.H. colleges are reporting strong fall 2026 enrollment figures [https://www.concordmonitor.com/2026/05/13/new-hampshire-college-enrollment-trends/] SC higher ed agency needs $25M more to pay for scholarships already awarded [https://www.golaurens.com/news/sc-higher-ed-agency-needs-25m-more-to-pay-for-scholarships-already-awarded/article_d4d80590-af7e-4950-ae69-17ea538aec20.html]