As many institutions face growing enrollment challenges, this week’s issue explores two promising options for enrollment growth: financially independent students and dual enrollment programs. Recent research shows that financially independent students are the fastest growing applicant segment in higher education. We examine that research and consider how it could apply to your institution before turning our attention to the need for more equitable dual enrollment pathways. Finally, we close with a research-backed look at how institutions can partner with consultants more effectively to ensure lasting value.  

After reading today’s issue, share your experiences with consultants in the comments! 

Independent Students Double 

From Independent Applicants: A Growing but Underserved Pool | Inside Higher Ed  

The number of financially independent students applying to college has doubled in the last decade, but their rates of enrollment lag other groups.     

Our Thoughts 

For many institutions, diversifying their enrollment strategy is a necessity in today’s market. With the approaching demographic cliff, colleges and universities must broaden their understanding of who today’s students are and where future enrollments will come from. This article makes it clear that financially independent students (e.g., adult learners, emancipated youth, student parents) are not just a side population. They should be an essential component of your future student recruitment efforts.  

However, while applicants from independent students are increasing at a much faster rate than the general pool, these students are far less likely to matriculate or complete a degree. This suggests that our current systems are not built to support them. From limited access to application guidance to fewer support structures after enrollment, independent students face barriers at every step of their college journey.   

Unlike traditional 18-year-olds, these students often operate outside the reach of high school counselors, college fairs, and other traditional recruitment pipelines. They connect to higher education through workforce development centers, military pathways, or major life transitions. That means institutions must reimagine outreach, enrollment services, and support systems to meet them where they are.  

Given the enrollment pressures many institutions are facing in addition to increasing public scrutiny, can we really afford to overlook this growing and underserved population of prospective students? 

Collaborating with Consultants 

From The Deliverable Deadlock: How to Create Collaborative Consulting Engagements | EDUCAUSE Review  

Higher education institutions and consultants can get stuck in a “deliverable deadlock” of rigid, transactional engagements that impede lasting transformation. Breaking the cycle requires deep, intentional collaboration and strong internal structures to harness the value consultants create.   

Our Thoughts 

Like most of our readers, I’ve worked with my fair share of consultants at institutions over the years. It’s a familiar cycle. Someone, usually in leadership, has the default impulse to bring in a consultant to solve a pressing problem. After the engagement, the consultant delivers a polished report that is then often shelved for “future use.” Fleming’s article, based upon his dissertation work, terms this concept the deliverable deadlock, which I found both compelling and painfully accurate. Fortunately, Fleming then goes on to offer suggestions for how to overcome it.  

He argues that consulting engagements are most effective when approached as true collaborations. Too often, there is a misalignment between internal readiness and the value a consultant can realistically provide. Institutions expect clarity and transformation from an outsider who may have limited access or insight into institutional dynamics, while consultants deliver what’s been scoped, knowing the engagement likely won’t evolve into something deeper. The result is often a stack of elegant recommendations that go nowhere. This dynamic is not only a waste of resources but a missed opportunity to build lasting institutional capacity.  

Shifting from the passive “consumer” role to one of active co-creation isn’t a small change, but Fleming’s research shows it’s well worth the effort. As we face increasingly complex, cross-cutting challenges in higher education, such as AI integration, demographic shifts, and declining public trust, we need partners willing to help us tackle these challenges together. If your institution is considering hiring consultants, I highly recommend applying some of Fleming’s insights. His article is a valuable resource for anyone looking to reimagine what real partnership can look like in an era that demands transformation and not just recommendations. 

Rising Dual Enrollment 

From Dual Enrollment Numbers Are Rising. Colleges Want Them to Keep Growing. | EdSurge  

EdSurge looks at some ways to help keep dual enrollment accessible to all students.   

Our Thoughts  

Although I think some dual enrollment programs offer more than necessary, I’ve long believed that giving high school students the chance to take a few college classes is a good thing. For me, dual enrollment has always served as a bridge to help students transition from high school to college-level expectations. Students who participate in these programs often gain confidence, preparation, and momentum toward earning a post-secondary credential. As higher education faces declining enrollment and persistent equity gaps, the ability of dual enrollment to build college-going identities and readiness among students, particularly from historically underserved backgrounds, is incredibly powerful.  

However, access to dual enrollment programs remains inequitable. Students from low-income communities, students of color, and those in rural or under-resourced districts often face financial, logistical, and instructional barriers to participation. If our sector is committed to access and equity, our dual enrollment programs must be intentionally designed to reach students who would benefit most, rather than simply reinforcing existing patterns of privilege.  

As participation in dual enrollment grows, we have a chance to reframe it—not as something reserved for high achievers, but as a core access strategy, especially in underserved areas. This approach could give institutions small but meaningful enrollment boosts while building a more inclusive and sustainable pipeline into higher education. While I don’t believe everyone must go to college, I do believe that everyone should have the opportunity to do so.