New partnership equips institutions to build stronger continuing education portfolios. TORONTO and CINCINNATI, OH, June 10, 2026 - Modern Campus has partnered with Future Ready Consulting to launch Growth Advisory Services, a new offering that empowers continuing education leaders to identify new program opportunities, optimize existing portfolios, and prepare for emerging funding pathways. In 2026, workforce needs are evolving faster than traditional degree programs can respond. Learner demand has shifted towards flexible, career-connected education. Colleges and universities face increasing pressure to make the right decisions about their program portfolios. The arrival of Workforce Pell eligibility on July 1 adds new urgency to those decisions, giving institutions new options to expand access to short-term, workforce-aligned learning. Modern Campus, a leading provider of learner-to-earner lifecycle technologies for higher education, has long helped institutions connect learning experiences to workforce outcomes. Future Ready Consulting, an industry-leading advisory firm, helps colleges and universities align continuing education strategy with workforce demand. Together, the organizations saw a growing need for better market intelligence and strategic guidance. For many continuing education leaders, the challenge is determining where to focus their efforts. Growth Advisory Services is designed to meet that challenge through four engagements: * CE Program Market Intelligence evaluates continuing education program performance and competitive positioning to identify which programs to keep, grow, redesign or sunset * Workforce Funding & Pell Readiness Lab helps institutions assess workforce-aligned funding pathways and ready their programs for Workforce Pell eligibility * Career Pathways Blueprint maps programs to career outcomes through stackable credential frameworks aligned with employer demand * New Program Market Scan validates proposed programs, giving institutions clarity around demand and employer alignment before launch Growth Advisory Services provides institutions with a data-driven, structured framework for evaluating potential investments and making strategic decisions. Per the National Student Clearinghouse, as of 2025 over 43 million learners have some college but no credentials, demonstrating a crucially important population that well-aligned CE offerings can serve. The partnership between Modern Campus and Growth Advisory Services empowers institutions to better deliver for this growing population. "Continuing education leaders are being asked to make important decisions in a rapidly changing environment," said Craig Chanoff, CEO of Modern Campus. "As workforce needs evolve and new funding opportunities emerge, the challenge is knowing where to focus. Institutions need to understand where demand exists and how to align programs to the needs of learners and employers." Growth Advisory Services is available through Modern Campus and complements its Lifelong Learning solutions. To learn more, visit https://go.moderncampus.com/accelerate-higher-ed-success-with-modern-campus-future-ready. About Modern Campus Modern Campus empowers more than 1,700 higher education institutions to attract, engage, and retain learners for life. Through its learner-to-earner lifecycle platform, Modern Campus helps institutions align curriculum, credentials, and career pathways to deliver flexible, outcomes-driven learner experiences. By supporting diverse education models, Modern Campus enables institutions to serve learners across every stage of their educational journey. About Future Ready Consulting Future Ready Consulting is a strategic advisory firm with more than 30 years of experience at the intersection of learning and development and entrepreneurial innovation. The firm specializes in optimizing continuing education processes and building impactful programming that drives sustainable growth. Through expertise in strategy and operations, Future Ready helps organizations navigate change and create lasting impact. Last updated: June 10, 2026

College Planning is no longer linear - it's personal, digital, and increasingly complex. New research from Modern Campus and Encoura reveals how today's students explore, evaluate, and decide on college. TORONTO and WASHINGTON, D.C., April 7, 2026 - Modern Campus, in partnership with Encoura, announced the release of the 2026 College Planning Report, revealing that the college planning journey is no longer a clear, step-by-step process but a dynamic, emotionally complex experience shaped by fragmented information, digital tools, and uneven access to support. The research shows that institutions must rethink how they engage prospective students from the very first moments of awareness. Drawing on insights from nearly 1,800 high school students, the 2026 College Planning Report examines how learners discover, research, and make decisions about college. The findings reveal a fundamental shift: students are not following institutional timelines - they are navigating a personalized, nonlinear journey influenced by relationships, digital channels, and moments that often go unseen by institutions. From Awareness to Action: A Fragmented Journey Rather than beginning with formal outreach or admissions materials, students form perceptions of college through everyday interactions - family conversations, school environments, and increasingly, digital tools. These early signals shape whether college feels attainable long before institutions engage directly. At the same time, disparities in access to guidance persist. First-generation students rely more heavily on limited support networks, while continuing-generation students benefit from broader exposure to information and resources. Key findings include: * College planning begins earlier and more informally than institutions assume, often shaped by everyday moments rather than structured guidance * 63% of students are already using AI tools in their college planning, signaling a shift toward digital-first exploration * 62% still prefer to speak with a real person when starting to learn about colleges, reinforcing the importance of human connection alongside technology * 52% say personalized outreach makes them feel like a college genuinely cares, raising expectations for relevance and engagement * Students increasingly question the value of college, with 61% believing it is possible to succeed without a degree The Rise of AI - But Not Without Limits AI is becoming a core part of how students explore college options, particularly for early discovery and comparison. However, the research shows that students use these tools selectively and do not fully trust them - especially for high-stakes decisions. Instead, students are blending AI with human guidance, turning to counselors, parents, and trusted adults when decisions become more complex. A Higher Bar for Engagement The report highlights a growing gap between how institutions communicate and how students actually experience the college search. Students expect: * Clear, accessible information early in their journey * Personalized, relevant outreach across channels * Seamless movement between digital exploration and human support Institutions that fail to meet these expectations risk losing students before formal recruitment even begins. Connecting Discovery to Decision For institutions, the implications are clear: success in enrollment strategy depends on meeting students where they are - earlier, more personally, and across more channels than ever before. This requires not just better messaging, but better coordination across recruitment, marketing, advising, and digital experience. "As institutions think about enrollment and engagement, the opportunity is to create a more connected experience from first touchpoint to decision," said Craig Chanoff, CEO of Modern Campus. "Students are navigating complexity - institutions that simplify that journey and make it feel personal will be the ones that stand out." Download the Report The full 2026 College Planning Report is available now. To explore how students are navigating today's college search - and what institutions can do to better support them - download the report here. About Modern Campus Modern Campus empowers more than 1,700 higher education institutions to attract, engage, and retain learners for life. Through its learner-to-earner lifecycle platform, Modern Campus helps institutions align curriculum, credentials, and career pathways to deliver flexible, outcomes-driven learner experiences. By supporting both traditional and nontraditional education models, Modern Campus enables institutions to adapt, compete, and serve learners across every stage of their educational journey. About Encoura Encoura is an educational data science and research organization serving over 2,000 member institutions comprising public and private colleges and universities across the nation and abroad. Since 1972, Encoura has been a leading provider of data science, technology, and programs serving students, high school educators, colleges, and universities with offices in Austin, TX, and Boston, MA. These solutions represent the link between students making important life decisions and those providing the resources and information students need to succeed in their postsecondary education and careers. Last updated: April 7, 2026