White paper
The 2026 State of Financial Planning in Higher Education
63 finance and strategy leaders. $26 billion in budgets. One clear picture of where higher ed stands — and what it takes to get ahead.
White paper
The 2026 State of Financial Planning in Higher Education
63 finance and strategy leaders. $26 billion in budgets. One clear picture of where higher ed stands — and what it takes to get ahead.
Inflation, enrollment declines, and funding volatility are reshaping every line of the balance sheet. This report reveals how finance and strategy leaders across the country are managing the pressure — and what separates institutions that are adapting from those still running on spreadsheets and reactive planning cycles.
What you’ll learn:
- Why 94% of institutions still lack end-to-end financial automation — and what it’s costing them
- The $26B benchmark: how peer institutions are structuring budgets, forecasting cycles, and ROI tracking
- The four challenges finance leaders named as their biggest planning obstacles in 2025
- The strategic shifts that separate proactive institutions from reactive ones — and how to make the shift
About Tru Consulting
Tru Consulting helps higher education institutions modernize financial planning through connected, enterprise-wide solutions built on Anaplan. Since 2019, we’ve partnered with over 100 institutions across the U.S., delivering 250+ successful planning transformations with a 100% client satisfaction record. Our team brings 500+ years of combined experience in higher education finance and strategy — which means we understand your institution’s complexity before we walk in the door.
