Would-be entry-level workers described using elaborate spreadsheets to track dozens of job applications, lost opportunities from federal cuts and hiring processes that made them question their self-worth.

Consolidation is not the end of an institution's story, but the next chapter in higher education's long tradition of adaptation.

According to Neeli Bendapudi, the president of Penn State University, it is "important" that the federal government "continue that tradition of investing in our higher education system because it's a huge competitive advantage."

2026 will favor community colleges that reinvent themselves to ensure institutional resilience, market relevance and programmatic alignment with workforce and community needs.