Higher Ed
For decades, many colleges and universities could rely on their reputation to show students the value of a degree. Even recently, with changing market dynamics, multiple "cliffs," and government chaos. And for a long time, that was enough.
But our industry is getting shaken up yet again. Federal funding is now tied to outcomes, meaning programs that can’t demonstrate a clear return on investment could lose Title IV eligibility as soon as July 2026. This is a major change, and we know it’s a lot to process.
On top of that, the enrollment cliff is looming, and skepticism around the value of a degree is higher than ever. These are tough times. The stakes are real, and they go beyond competing for students. For many institutions, it's about ensuring your institution’s future.
If this feels overwhelming, you’re not alone, and there is a way forward. Let’s break down exactly what this new rule means, and how you can take steps to not just adapt, but thrive.
The New Rule: High Stakes and Hard Truths
So, what’s actually happening? The Department of Education is tightening the screws on accountability. The new Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment (GE) rules mean programs now have to prove their graduates are financially better off than they would be without the degree.
In plain English: your graduates need to out-earn a high school graduate in your state. If a program misses that mark—or hits the wrong debt-to-earnings ratio—consistently, federal financial aid gets pulled.
We know how much work goes into building these programs, but if students are taking out loans for careers with lower earning potential, those programs are effectively dead in the water. No federal aid means no students.
This isn’t just another hoop to jump through, and we know it feels like the goalposts are constantly moving. But the trajectory is clear: the government will no longer subsidize programs that don’t deliver economic mobility. This isn’t a passing fad; it’s the new baseline. It’s a lot to carry, but it’s the reality we have to face to keep our institutions moving forward.
Why Proving Value Is Your Only Option
You might be tempted to think, "We’ll just tweak the curriculum, weather the storm, and wait for the dust to settle."
But that’s a gamble you can’t afford to lose.
This is about surviving a massive shift in how people view education, not dodging another regulatory change. Prospective students will be looking for more than an experience, they'll be looking for a lifeline. They’re savvy, they’re protective of their futures, and they’re rightfully terrified of the student loan horror stories they've seen in the news.
When they look at your institution, they won't only wonder if they’ll fit in. They’re asking the hard question: "Is this degree going to leave me with a pile of debt?"
If we can’t show them a clear path to a career and a financial payoff that makes sense, they won’t just hesitate, they’ll walk away. They’ll pivot to a cheaper state school, grab a certification, or opt out of the system entirely.
The new federal rules are just formalizing what the market has been screaming at us for years. Failing to show value doesn't just put your federal aid at risk; it breaks the bond of trust with your applicants. And once that trust is gone, all the glossy brochures in the world won’t win them back. It’s time to give them the transparency they deserve.
Decoding "Value": It’s Not One-Size-Fits-All
"Value" is a fuzzy word. To survive this change, you need to get specific. Value looks different depending on who you’re talking to, and your strategy needs to address all three of these stakeholders:
1. What Students Care About
Students want to know the destination. They don't care about your pedagogy; they care about the paycheck. They want to see clear career pathways, salary benchmarks, and job placement rates. They want to know that the skills they learn in the classroom will actually get them hired.
2. What Families Care About
Parents are often big investors here. They care about ROI. They're terrified of their child boomeranging back home five (or six) figures in debt with no job prospects. They want assurance of career stability and a manageable debt-to-income ratio.
3. What Employers Care About
Employers are the end-users of your product. They don't care about GPAs; they care about competency. They want graduates who are job-ready, possess relevant hard and soft skills, and can make an impact on day one.
You can't just shout "Value!" into the void. You have to translate your outcomes into the languages these groups speak.
Practical Ways to Show (Not Just Tell) Your Worth
So how do you start making things better? It’s time to move from defensiveness to a place of open, honest communication. Here’s how you can start showing your value in a way that resonates.
Share Real Data Openly
Don’t be afraid to show your outcomes. If your English majors are landing exciting roles in tech or publishing, highlight their success. Make post-graduation salary and job placement info easy to find, not hidden away in a PDF no one will read. Use clear, standardized metrics so students and families feel confident and informed. Transparency builds trust.
Create Dashboards That Really Help
Nobody wants to sift through a dense institutional report. Create simple, interactive dashboards that present data in a way that makes sense to prospective students. Show job placement rates, time to employment, and debt-to-income ratios. Make it easy for them to see the real-world impact of their education. When students can connect the dots themselves, it empowers them to make informed decisions.
Connect Learning to Careers Early
Don’t wait until students are about to graduate to start conversations about careers. Help them see, right from the start, how their academic choices align with job opportunities. Give them clear examples: "If you major in X, here are five roles our alumni are thriving in, and here’s who’s hiring them." This clarity can ease anxieties and help students feel confident about their path.
Pair Stories With Proof
Alumni stories are powerful, but they need context to really land. Instead of just sharing that “Jennifer loved her time here,” show what that love translated into. For example: “Jennifer is now an intelligence analyst with the FBI, and 85% of our foreign language grads are employed within six months.” Combining personal stories with data creates both an emotional connection and a sense of reliability. Bonus points if you have graduates who are finding creative uses for degrees that have historically had more limited career options.
These steps are more than marketing. They build genuine trust and show students and families that you’re invested in their future.
Strengthening the Career Bridge
This is where your faculty can really step up. The days of the ivory tower are fading, and students are looking for a clear path from their education to their career.
To meet this need, curricula need to align with the demands of the modern workforce. This means building deep, active partnerships with employers to create credible claims like, "Our curriculum was designed with input from [Major Company], and they actively recruit our students."
When a program team can confidently say, "We know exactly what the industry needs, we teach it, and our grads get the jobs," your programs become invaluable. We understand that some faculty may feel this approach challenges academic tradition. It can be helpful to frame this way of thinking as a way to ensure their programs and their students thrive instead of a compromise.
Helping you survive the purge
We know you didn't get into higher ed to manage spreadsheets or play defense with the federal government, you did it to help students. But you can't do that if your doors are closed.
This is where Halda stops being "just another tool" and starts being your survival kit.
An Overhauled Student Engagement Experience
Under the hood, Halda is a unified, AI-driven student engagement platform that activates your web traffic and student data to individualize interactions across web, email, SMS, and voice. We stop the leak in your funnel by capturing intent and personalizing the nurture journey in one place. It’s faster, smarter, and way less brittle than trying to stitch together a dozen point solutions with duct tape and hope.
Streamlined Integration, Better Recruitment
Halda is built to integrate with existing tech and deliver faster time-to-value than heavyweight alternatives. It's a modern replacement for fragmented vendors and legacy CRMs, preserving core systems while adding real-time AI personalization and unified reporting.
Real Results, No BS
We don’t just talk about results, we deliver them. Our work with partner institutions proves exactly what happens when you stop guessing and start executing. We have the receipts: battle-tested case studies showing real programs using Halda to crush inquiry goals, skyrocket transfer conversions, and stop student drop-off in its tracks. These aren't just "operational wins"; they are the fuel for stronger post-grad outcomes and public reporting that actually carries weight. When regulators and families demand to know what a degree is actually worth, our partners have the living proof to back it up.
Case Studies: Who’s Doing It Right?
Let’s look at a hypothetical scenario to see how this plays out.
The Reactive University:
They wait until 2027. They panic. They realize their Arts Management program has a debt-to-earnings ratio that fails the new test. They scramble to cut the program. Bad press follows. Enrollment tanks.
The Proactive University:
They look at the data today. They see the Arts Management program is struggling with earnings outcomes.
- Step 1: They revamp the curriculum to include hard business skills and guaranteed internships.
- Step 2: They partner with local arts organizations to ensure placement.
- Step 3: They publish the new projected outcomes and successful alumni stories on the program page.
- Result: Enrollment in the program actually increases because students see a viable path to a career, and the program passes the federal test with flying colors.
See the difference? One treats the rule as a death sentence while the other treats it as a design constraint to innovate around.
The Elephant in the Room: "But What About the Arts?"
We have to address the nuance here. Some fields—social work, early childhood education, the arts—are historically undervalued by the market. They don't pay well, but they are vital to society.
This new rule puts them in the crosshairs.
It’s unfair that a hedge fund manager’s finance degree is deemed "valuable", while a teacher’s degree is "at risk" purely based on salary. But we can't change societal values.
Leaders need to think critically here. How do you balance mission with sustainability? Can you lower the cost of delivery for these programs? Can you increase scholarship support to lower debt loads? Can you integrate high-income skills (like data literacy or management) into these degrees to boost earning potential without losing the soul of the discipline?
You can’t ignore the math because the mission is noble. You have to make the math work for the mission.
Adaptation Isn't Optional
The bottom line is this: the era of ambiguity is over. While these new regulations may feel like another bureaucratic hurdle, they also present a clear opportunity to stand out. This is your chance to show the world—and your students—what makes your programs different.
Here’s how to get started:
- Audit your programs. Get a clear picture of which ones might be at risk under the new GE rules.
- Gather the data. If you don’t have a handle on alumni earnings and career outcomes, now is the time to get it.
- Update your website. Your program pages should clearly communicate career outcomes. This transparency is no longer optional; it's essential for your students.
- Talk to Halda. Seriously. Our platform is designed to make this kind of transparency effortless, helping you prove your value without the manual lift.
Institutions that lean into this shift—measuring, communicating, and improving outcomes—will not only survive policy changes but will be better positioned to thrive in the long run.
The students are demanding it. The government is mandating it. The market is rewarding it.
So, are you going to step up and prove your value, or are you going to let the federal government decide your future for you?
Let’s get to work.
