Hi everyone. I'm Dr. . Suzanne Lampert, assistant professor in economics and head of learning and teaching for the department of accountancy, economics and finance here at Harriet Watt University.Um, I work with and interact with hundreds, probably thousands of uh, Gen Z students every year and I want to talk about how higher education can help to maximize the potential of Gen Zed in the world of the future. So I want to start by directing a question to those Gen Zed students and to any Gen Zed students lis ...

Bad news for higher education: Americans' view of the importance of a college education has continued to decline, hitting a 15-year low, according to a new Gallup poll. https://t.co/RiLDUkMVQy https://t.co/09GoYZahh6 ...

Bad news for higher education: Americans' view of the importance of a college education has continued to decline, hitting a 15-year low, according to a new Gallup poll. https://t.co/2P10b14G60 https://t.co/96YrTo4fN8 ...

Vanderbilt University, a happy ‘unicorn’ of higher education, is drawing fire from its peers for not standing up to the White House https://t.co/Ea31D5c0Gh ...

With the fall semester underway, research universities face pressing challenges tied to federal policy and funding. Here are five major questions shaping higher education this year. https://t.co/bfRLDYmsk7 (Photo: Scott Eisen via Getty Images) https://t.co/76pQsh2qFj ...

Higher Education Initiatives - A new Higher Education Advisory Board is announced to guide the use of Claude in teaching, learning, and research [1]

Freeberg, you think that we should What do you do with the mortgage market. You >> God, it's so difficult. I don't know.>> Do you just basically privatize Freddy and Fanny and let them underwrite. >> I 100% think you got to privatize Freddy and Fanny as a first step. >> And then you have to stop underwriting student debt so that you don't underwrite the $200,000 degrees.>> I believe 100% in ending the federal student loan program. And I think that it will force a restructuring of the of the entire higher ed ...

Societal Trends & Challenges - The percentage of 30-year-olds who are married and homeowners has declined from 50% in the 1950s to 12% currently [1] - Young men may lack social skills, leading to increased online communication and fragile relationships [3] - Pornography consumption is high, with over 50% of 12-year-old boys watching it [5][6] - Dating sites are optimized for user retention rather than relationship formation, contributing to loneliness [7] Economic Factors - Home prices have increased significantly relative to income since 1980, making homeownership unaffordable for many individuals [10] - Stagnant real wage growth, coupled with student loan debt, makes it difficult for young people to start families and achieve financial stability [19] - Government intervention in housing and education through programs like the Federal Home Loan Program and Federal Student Loan Program may have created bubbles of inaffordability [16][17] Generational & Educational Issues - A generation was wrongly advised to pursue university education to avoid job automation, leading to significant debt [22][23][24] - Trade jobs like electricians and plumbers can offer high income and no debt, potentially surpassing the financial well-being of some professionals with advanced degrees [24][25] Mental Health - Major depressive episodes are prevalent among US adults aged 18-25 [13] - Excessive internet use and social media can exacerbate feelings of isolation and inadequacy [15]

The president has turned full guns on Harvard. If the university capitulates, it would become a template for coerced reforms across higher education https://t.co/9DoAi6e0gbIllustration: Harry Haysom https://t.co/iETogJ6lyy ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - On a constant currency basis, revenue grew by 4% from the prior year, with disciplined expense management limiting operating expense growth to just 2%, resulting in operating income of $49 million, a 12% increase from the prior year [5] - Adjusted earnings per share increased by 16% to $1.54 compared to $1.33 from the prior year [6] - Operating margin increased by 110 basis points to 15.2% [5] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Education Technology Services (ETS) division saw revenue and operating income both increase by 50% from the prior year to $37 million and $15 million respectively, with its share of operating income growing from 23% to 31% [6] - Sofia Learning, the direct-to-consumer portal, grew both average and total subscribers and revenue by 40% [7] - US higher education operating income increased by 5% from the prior year, with operating expenses decreasing by $2 million, or 1% [9] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total enrollment in US higher education decreased by 1% from the prior year, but slightly higher revenue per student helped offset the decline, resulting in revenue being down by only 0.5% [7] - Employer affiliated enrollment increased by 8% from the prior year, now representing 32% of all US higher education enrollment [8] - In the Australia/New Zealand segment, total enrollment decreased by 3% from the prior year, but revenue increased slightly to $71 million [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on the Australian domestic market, where mid to high single-digit new student growth has been observed [10] - There is a plan to increase marketing investments in the domestic market in the back half of the year, which is expected to support growth in 2026 [19][39] - The company remains optimistic about the future growth of the Australia/New Zealand segment once international enrollment restrictions are lifted [10][37] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that the softness in new student enrollment is primarily at Strayer University, particularly among unaffiliated students, but expects enrollment to normalize in the mid-single-digit range over the long term [25] - The company does not expect any material adverse impact from the recent legislative changes, including the "one big beautiful bill" [21] - Management expressed confidence in the strong performance of the ETS division and its potential to contribute significantly to earnings [6][32] Other Important Information - The company repurchased approximately 325,000 shares during the quarter for a total of $28 million, with $169 million remaining on the share repurchase authorization [10] - The caps on employer-affiliated tuition assistance programs are expected to be a net positive for the company [40] Q&A Session Summary Question: Clarification on unaffiliated enrollment decline - Management indicated that the decline in unaffiliated enrollment is primarily at Strayer University and that the rate of decline was slightly better in the second quarter than in the first quarter [15] Question: Domestic vs. international enrollment split in ANZ - Management noted that the split between domestic and international enrollment has shifted towards more domestic due to regulatory restrictions on international students [19] Question: Legislative and regulatory impacts on higher education - Management stated that they do not expect any material adverse impact from the "one big beautiful bill" and are still digesting its components [21] Question: Weakness at Strayer and leading indicators - Management acknowledged pressure on unaffiliated undergraduate students at Strayer but expects enrollment to normalize over the long term [25] Question: Update on large employer partnerships - Management reported strong revenue growth from a large employer partnership and indicated that onboarding is progressing well [32]