Shifting workforce demands require higher education institutions to seriously evaluate their budgets and programs annually. The start of the fourth quarter is the perfect time to focus on strategic planning for 2026 and beyond. Long-range planning is more than just a financial exercise; it's a way to chart a course for future success through strategic foresight and deliberate action. For universities and colleges, higher education budgeting and planning is no longer just a financial task, it’s a core element of institutional strategy.

Effective long-term planning requires a deep understanding of your mission, market, and capabilities. It involves asking tough questions about your academic institution’s position today and where you want to be in the coming years. By embracing a strategic mindset, you can transform your higher education budgeting process from a reactive task into a proactive strategy for sustainable growth.

Summary: 3 Things You’ll Learn in This Article

1. Strategic Budgeting for 2026: How to shift from reactive higher education budgeting to proactive, long-term planning that aligns with your vision and goals.
2. Program Lifecycle Management: Insights on when to grow, evolve, or sunset programs to ensure sustainability and relevance.
3. The Power of Partnerships: Why collaboration with strategic partners, like Boundless Learning, is key to launching viable programs and driving growth.

Traditional budgeting often focuses on incremental changes to last year's numbers. While this approach offers a sense of stability, it can stifle growth and leave an organization vulnerable to market shifts. Strategic planning, on the other hand, is a dynamic process that prepares you for the unknown.

“Forecasting isn't just about predicting the future,” says Jacob Farmer, Senior Director of Forecasting and Planning at Boundless Learning. “It's about equipping your organization with the flexibility to adapt and thrive in the face of change.”

This means your 2026 plan should be built on a foundation of strategic goals rather than just historical data. Instead of asking, w hat did we spend last year, start by asking w hat do we want to achieve by 2026, and what resources will it take to get there?

"The key to sustainable growth lies in aligning your vision with actionable steps and the right partnerships," says Steve Marconi, Chief Financial Officer of Boundless Learning. “A strong partnership is built on a shared understanding of what success looks like.”

Key questions for your planning team:

• Vision alignment: Does our current trajectory align with our long-term vision and mission?
• Market dynamics: What trends, challenges, and opportunities do we anticipate in our industry over the next few years?
• Competitive landscape: How are our competitors evolving, and how can we differentiate ourselves through academic program strategy?
• Internal capabilities: Do we have the talent, technology, and infrastructure needed to execute our future goals?

Answering these questions helps shift the focus from simply funding existing operations to investing in future success. It creates a budget that serves as a strategic tool, guiding your organization toward its long-term objectives.

A forward-looking strategy requires an honest assessment of your current portfolio, a key element of strategic foresight in education. Not every program or initiative will remain relevant forever. Strategic planning for higher education involves making informed decisions about where to invest more, where to evolve, and where to cut losses.

“At the intersection of market intelligence and academic planning, our research and insights team studies market data, competitive benchmarks, and program design patterns to deliver key opportunities to improve how programs are organized and offered,” says Andrea Marcinkus, Ph.D., Director of Research and Insights at Boundless Learning.

“We also provide recurring insights on program-market fit and shifting skill demands to help institutions stay aligned with evolving learner expectations and employer needs.”

Consider reaching out to Boundless Learning to see how our solutions can help you evaluate your current programs.

Coaching for growth: Adding new concentrations

As markets change, so do the needs of your learners. Part of long-term planning is identifying university growth strategies to expand or enhance your current offerings. For example, a university might see growing demand for data analytics skills and decide to add a new concentration to its business program, but making this decision requires careful analysis.

You need to validate the demand, assess the competitive landscape, and ensure you have the necessary resources and expertise to deliver a high-quality offering. Strategic advising can be invaluable here, providing the data and external perspective needed to make a confident decision. Using data in this process ensures new concentrations are not just trendy additions, but strategic investments that will deliver long-term value.

The difficult decision: Sunsetting a program

Just as important as knowing when to launch something new is knowing when to let something go. Continuing to fund an underperforming or outdated program drains resources that could be better used elsewhere. Sunsetting an initiative is never easy, especially when it has a history or dedicated internal champions, but it’s a vital part of program lifecycle management.

However, a data-driven approach can remove emotion from the decision. Key metrics to evaluate include:

• Performance: Is the program meeting its key performance indicators (KPIs)? Consider enrollment and graduation rates, job placement rates, cost vs. revenue, and other factors.
• Relevance & Future-Proofing: Does it still align with market needs and your strategic goals?
• Financial viability: Is the return on investment justifiable?
• Resource drain: Is it consuming a disproportionate amount of time, talent, or budget?

A strategic partner or advisor can provide an objective viewpoint, helping you navigate the internal politics and make the best decision for the organization's future health. Freeing up these resources allows you to double down on what’s working and invest in the next generation of successful initiatives.

At Boundless Learning, our expertise in strategy and advisory solutions empowers organizations to move beyond reactive higher education budgeting, ensuring your programs are viable, sustainable, and aligned with your long-term vision.

“Our services are purpose-built to help institutions reach more prospective learners, convert them into enrolled students, and keep them on track to graduate,” says Lauren Gomez, Vice President of Technology and Innovation of Boundless Learning.

Through expertise-based solutions and consultatory services in areas like identifying growth opportunities, adding new concentrations, and sunsetting outdated programs, our team supports every stage of academic program strategy and lifecycle planning. Let us help you build a roadmap for resilience, innovation, and growth — positioning your organization for lasting impact.

Ready to take the next step in your strategic journey?