A report from the Association of American Colleges and Universities finds that open educational resources significantly improve student outcomes beyond cost savings. The study, involving 700,000 student records and 240 faculty interviews, shows that courses using OER see lower withdrawal rates, more students earning A's and faster graduation times, especially at community colleges. The report highlights the need for faculty involvement and institutional support to maximize the benefits of OER.

Even for well-established schools, enrollment volatility is the "new normal," writes Jeffrey Selingo, author of "Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You." Several factors -- financial uncertainty, limits on student loans and the enrollment cliff -- are breaking the traditional business model. Colleges can either trim around the edges or accept that the old financial model is no longer reliable. The colleges that thrive in the next decade will be the ones that redesign the model, Selingo writes.

As college closures accelerate due to declining enrollments and rising debt, states are increasing consumer protections: 22 require private institutions to contribute to tuition recovery funds, and Massachusetts mandates financial transparency from private colleges. The federal government is streamlining mergers between struggling and stable institutions, and legal action from students and employees is rising. Some colleges are finding new revenue sources to stay afloat, while others, like Trinity Christian College, are being preserved virtually.