{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"This Week In College Viability (TWICV)","title":"This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for July 20, 2026","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1529,"description":"In this podcast episode, I examine several important developments that illustrate the growing financial pressures facing higher education. \nI begin by discussing three San Francisco Bay Area colleges that have received serious warnings from their accreditor to improve both their financial performance and student outcomes. \nI also explore the story of Northland College in Wisconsin, where donor-restricted endowment funds were used to help keep the institution operating before it ultimately closed. While the actions may have been legal, I question the ethical implications and argue that financially distressed colleges often find themselves making increasingly difficult decisions simply to survive.\nI also discuss several national issues that I believe will shape the future of higher education. I review proposed federal changes to accreditation and explain why I believe today's accreditation system already does too little to evaluate either academic quality or financial health. I highlight Moody's decision to downgrade Brown University's outlook to negative as evidence that even well-resourced institutions face significant financial challenges, and I review new research from Dr. Robert Kelchen that demonstrates how long-term operating losses, enrollment declines, and weakening financial trends can help identify colleges at greater risk. ","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/Y44uKI07PW5rI-Utwk_2d2xPoEZ__BovfyNuhcSMuKo/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzQ1MzUzLzE2OTU5/MjE2NDgtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}