Recovering revenue and retaining students through pre-collections will determine which institutions can weather the uncertainty facing higher education today.

Nearly 38 million working-age Americans have attended college without earning a degree, according to the National Student Clearinghouse. As the number of high school graduates declines, bringing these learners back has become a growing priority for colleges.

These "ghost students," now running rampant in California and infiltrating other states, are deploying new deepfake technology to trick their institutional victims.

Graduates, many of whom worked at least one job to afford basic necessities, are finding employment. Here's what some students did in college to get ahead.