Brian Weinblatt

Founder and Principal, @hcsstrategy, the global leader in higher education consolidation

[Brian Weinblatt @BrianWeinblatt]

Proud to be Toledo born and built. #YouWillDoBetterInToledo

[Brian Weinblatt @BrianWeinblatt]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬

𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬: 𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯. ‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳.’

Having spent much of my career in university advancement, and now working with institutions facing serious financial and enrollment pressures, I found this article both fascinating and, sadly, unsurprising.

Advancement teaches you that an endowment is not one large pot of money. Behind every restricted gift is a promise: a scholarship honoring a loved one, support for a particular academic program, a faculty position, or another purpose that mattered deeply to the donor.

Working with distressed institutions reveals the other side of the equation. When unrestricted cash is disappearing, and payroll, utilities, and other obligations are still due, every remaining dollar can begin to look like a lifeline.

According to @WSJ, nearly 200 private colleges borrowed from restricted endowments in 2025, up from 131 in 2021, often to help cover ordinary operating expenses.

I understand how institutions reach that point. But donor restrictions cannot simply become optional when circumstances grow difficult.

Using restricted gifts to cover structural operating deficits does not repair the institution’s financial model. At best, it buys time. At worst, it compounds the crisis by damaging donor trust, creating legal and fiduciary exposure, and consuming resources intended to benefit students for generations.

For boards, there is an especially important lesson here: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. Leaders must understand what is unrestricted, what is legally and ethically committed, and how much true financial runway remains.

Perhaps the most painful aspect of this story is the collateral damage: donors who believed they had created something enduring, only to discover that the promise disappeared along with the institution.

Financial distress rarely arrives overnight. Neither should the conversation about strategic alternatives.

𝐁𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐡, 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦. 𝐈𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲.

https://t.co/n46Bl4Tmo6

#highereducation #highered #heconsolidation #higheredconsolidation #universitymergers #collegemergers #universityclosures #collegeclosures

[Brian Weinblatt @BrianWeinblatt]

I appreciated the opportunity to speak with @hechingerreport about the challenges and opportunities facing higher education.

One of the questions I hear most often is, "How did this institution get here?"

The answer is almost never, "It happened suddenly."

At @HEConsolidation, we've found that financial distress, enrollment decline, deferred maintenance, demographic shifts, and competitive pressures typically develop over many years. By the time they're making headlines, they've usually been visible internally for quite some time.

That's why we encourage boards and leadership teams to think proactively rather than reactively. Institutions that begin exploring strategic options early, whether through partnerships, academic portfolio realignment, affiliations, or mergers, preserve far more choices than those forced to make decisions under crisis conditions.

One point I hope readers take away from the article is this: institutions generally have more strategic options than they realize, but only if they're willing to confront challenges before they become crises.

The conversation around higher education is changing. We believe institutions that are willing to have these conversations early will be best positioned to preserve their mission and strengthen their future.

[HCS Strategy @HCSStrategy]

The national conversation around higher education is changing.

Not long ago, college closures were viewed as rare, isolated events. Today, institutions, policymakers, students, and communities are increasingly grappling with a different reality: closures, mergers, and strategic affiliations are becoming a more prominent part of the higher education landscape.

@HEConsolidation was pleased to contribute to this important discussion in @hechingerreport, sharing perspectives on the strategic decisions institutions face amid demographic, financial, and competitive change.

One point remains especially important:

Institutions rarely reach a crisis overnight. Financial and enrollment challenges typically develop over many years. The colleges and universities with the greatest range of strategic options are those willing to address these realities early, before circumstances become critical.

Strategic partnerships, academic portfolio realignment, affiliations, and mergers are no longer simply responses to crisis. Increasingly, they are tools for strengthening institutional mission, competitiveness, and long-term sustainability.

The conversation is evolving. The opportunity now is to move from reacting to change to planning for it.

https://t.co/ffLzoFWZJQ

#highereducation #highered #heconsolidation #higheredconsolidation #universitymergers #collegemergers #universityclosures #collegeclosures

[Brian Weinblatt @BrianWeinblatt]

One of the most interesting questions facing higher education isn't whether consolidation will continue—it's whether institutions will act early enough for mergers and affiliations to remain viable strategic options.

Federal policymakers appear interested in making mergers easier and faster. Yet many colleges continue to wait until financial pressures become acute before exploring partnerships, affiliations, acquisitions, or mergers.

In my experience, the strongest combinations rarely occur when an institution has no options. They occur when leadership and boards engage strategic alternatives while they still have choices.

That's why the conversation around regulatory barriers matters. Timing can determine whether a transaction creates growth and opportunity—or simply arrives too late.

Recent coverage from @business highlights how these issues are increasingly drawing national attention.

Importantly, the future of higher education M&A is not just about rescuing struggling institutions. It is increasingly about helping stronger institutions grow, expand academic offerings, enter new markets, strengthen workforce alignment, and enhance long-term sustainability.

https://t.co/VxRThMq9e6

#highereducation #highered #heconsolidation #higheredconsolidation #universitymergers #collegemergers #universityclosures #collegeclosures

[HCS Strategy @HCSStrategy]

Is the strategic higher ed merger a myth or a model? Our founder @BrianWeinblatt makes the case — with evidence — that mission-complementary mergers have a long, successful history. His response to a recent @InsideHigherEd column:

https://t.co/KPVeFzjTUN

#HigherEducation #CollegeMergers #StrategicMergers #HigherEdLeadership

[Brian Weinblatt @BrianWeinblatt]

I’m proud to support an organization that means a great deal to me: @Les_Derniers - The Last Ones — a nonprofit preserving Holocaust survivors’ stories and bringing them into classrooms across the country to fight hate and antisemitism.

And what a week to support it.

Give Miami Day hosted by @MiamiFoundation is now the largest single-city giving day in the nation.

This community has shown that when we come together, generosity wins. And this year, every gift to The Last Ones goes even further thanks to a special $36 Jewish organization match (plus a $25 boost on the first 40 gifts).

If you’d like to help preserve these stories and bring powerful education to more students, you can donate here:

👉 https://t.co/kNhVzhAhrj

Grateful to be part of this work.

@BenitahLeslie

[HCS Strategy @HCSStrategy]

🚨 A Merger Worth Studying: The GOAT of Higher Ed Mergers 🐐

When the University of Texas at San Antonio and UT Health San Antonio came together, they created not just a larger institution — but a blueprint for how thoughtful, mission-complementary mergers can transform a region.

At Higher Ed Consolidation Solutions, we call this the GOAT of higher ed mergers. Why? Because it’s a model:
✅ Two strong institutions joining from positions of strength
✅ Little duplication, lots of synergy
✅ A merger that benefits students, faculty, staff, patients, and the state

And here’s the key: while not every institution has UTSA’s scale, smaller colleges and universities can still learn and apply these principles. Mission complementarity, incremental collaboration, and visionary leadership matter just as much — if not more — for smaller schools.

📖 Read our latest article for insights on what makes this merger historic, and how leaders at institutions of all sizes can borrow the playbook.

https://t.co/AUKJKSLK6l

#highereducation #highered #heconsolidation #higheredconsolidation #universitymergers #collegemergers #universityclosures #collegeclosures

[Brian Weinblatt @BrianWeinblatt]

I’m proud to share that our team at @HEConsolidation (HCS) has launched a new service: Academic Portfolio Realignment & Growth. 🎓

Too often, program review is thought of only in terms of reduction. Our approach is different. With a talented team of researchers and consultants who understand both the academic enterprise and local/regional workforce needs 🌍💼, we help institutions realign for growth—identifying underperforming programs while also adding the ones that students, employers, and communities need most. 🌱

This is program review with a growth mindset—mission-centered, market-relevant, and designed for the jobs of today and tomorrow. 🚀

👉 Read more about our new service below.

[HCS Strategy @HCSStrategy]

Not just program review—program growth. 🌱📈

Colleges and universities everywhere are rethinking their academic portfolios. 🎓

At HCS, we go beyond analysis. Our new Academic Portfolio Realignment & Growth service helps institutions not only evaluate underperforming programs, but also add the critical ones they may be missing—grounded in workforce data, regional needs, and student demand. 🌍💼

With our team of seasoned researchers and consultants, we align academic portfolios with mission, momentum, and market—so institutions are prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow. 🚀

Read more about our new service: https://t.co/uuJPhMsnqf

#highereducation #highered #heconsolidation #higheredconsolidation #universitymergers #collegemergers #universityclosures #collegeclosures

[Brian Weinblatt @BrianWeinblatt]

🚀 Big things are happening at HCS.

I’m beyond proud of this exceptional group of professionals—and our entire HCS team—for the expertise, creativity, and dedication they bring to every partnership.

A special shout-out to Kevin Cavanagh, our Managing Director, whose rare frontline merger experience, steady leadership, and deep commitment to our mission make me confident we’re only getting stronger from here.

Here’s to the work ahead.

[HCS Strategy @HCSStrategy]

Team Expansion Strengthens HCS’s Role as the Leader in College and University Consolidation

@HEConsolidation (HCS) is expanding its team and services to meet rising demand from colleges and universities seeking expert guidance during a time of unprecedented change in higher education. As institutions increasingly explore affiliations, shared services, governance changes, or full-scale mergers, HCS is growing to provide even deeper strategic support and operational insight.

https://t.co/yvMF9dXl81

#highereducation #highered #heconsolidation #higheredconsolidation #universitymergers #collegemergers #universityclosures #collegeclosures

[Brian Weinblatt @BrianWeinblatt]

Feeling proud of our team at @HEConsolidation (HCS) today—especially those who brought their expertise, professionalism, and steady guidance to our work with @acphsofficial (ACPHS).

Special thanks and congratulations to our client lead and HCS Managing Director, Kevin Cavanagh, for his outstanding leadership throughout this engagement. His work exemplifies the values we bring to every partnership.

Grateful for the opportunity to support ACPHS in this exciting chapter.

[HCS Strategy @HCSStrategy]

🚨 Big news from our client, @acphsofficial (ACPHS)!

We at Higher Ed Consolidation Solutions (HCS) proudly congratulate ACPHS on today’s public announcement (April 22): the college’s Board of Trustees approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to pursue a merger with nearby @sage_edu. This transformative partnership will result in one of the largest private colleges in New York’s Capital District.

Since December 2023, HCS has had the privilege of working closely with ACPHS leadership and trustees to support their bold vision for strategic growth. After a comprehensive search and a series of confidential discussions with potential partners, Russell Sage College emerged as the ideal match.

We commend @ACPHSPrez and the ACPHS executive team for their thoughtful leadership—from partner identification and due diligence to transparent communication and stakeholder engagement. Their dedication to shaping a vibrant future for ACPHS has been truly inspiring.

This planned merger represents a powerful step forward in strengthening higher education in the region, expanding opportunities for students, faculty, and the communities both institutions serve. It’s also a model of the kind of collaborative strategy that more institutions are embracing in today’s evolving higher ed landscape.

🔗 Learn more at: https://t.co/zYfcN2789K

https://t.co/UopcTHU6Wp

#highereducation #highered #heconsolidation #higheredconsolidation #universitymergers #collegemergers #universityclosures #collegeclosures #HigherEd #Merger #StrategicPartnership #Leadership #ACPHS #RussellSageCollege #HigherEdConsolidationSolutions #Education

[Brian Weinblatt @BrianWeinblatt]

@jimmyjohns Since when do you guys not do deliveries yourselves? By relying on a third-party delivery service, you've lost control of the speed of delivery. Orders are no longer delivered freaky fast.

[Brian Weinblatt @BrianWeinblatt]

I am excited to announce our new practice area at @HEConsolidation, which focuses on affiliations, partnerships, and shared services for colleges and universities. While we remain proud of our status as the first—and only—consultancy specializing exclusively in higher education mergers and acquisitions, this new offering directly responds to our clients' growing interest in targeted, flexible solutions that don't necessarily involve a full merger. With our team of seasoned experts, we are uniquely positioned to deliver innovative and effective strategies tailored to our clients' needs.

[HCS Strategy @HCSStrategy]

Mergers, acquisitions, and consolidations have long been at the heart of our mission. However, in response to growing client demand, we are broadening our services. Many clients have discovered that partnering with institutions through affiliations—rather than pursuing full mergers or acquisitions—better suits their specific program needs.

Today, @HEConsolidation (HCS) is excited to introduce our new practice area in affiliations and shared services. This service is designed to help colleges and universities explore and establish collaborative partnerships, including shared services and academic program affiliations, to improve institutional sustainability and effectiveness.

Leading this new practice area is HCS Consultant Peter Laipson, Ph.D., who brings extensive expertise in planning and implementing innovative academic affiliations and partnerships.

Contact us today to learn more about this and our other services. Through cooperation and collaboration, institutions can achieve growth that would be difficult to realize independently.

https://t.co/HOjZ73J4QP

#highereducation #highered #heconsolidation #higheredconsolidation #universitymergers #collegemergers #universityclosures #collegeclosures

[Brian Weinblatt @BrianWeinblatt]

I'm very excited about this new service from the @HEConsolidation team and Consultant Jon Wexler. If there is one refrain we constantly articulate, it is, "Don't wait until it is too late." With the new HCS Merger Runway service, college and university leaders will know precisely how long before things are "too late."

[HCS Strategy @HCSStrategy]

One consistent element among recent college and university closures is the straw that breaks the camel's back: all of them had leadership that waited until it was too late to pursue transformational changes to save their institutions.

@HEConsolidation (HCS) is proud to announce our new Merger Runway service. This service helps leaders identify precisely how much runway or time they have left to make critical decisions, thus informing them of their options.

This service is led by HCS Consultant Jon Wexler, who developed the Merger Runway Index (MRI), a formula detailed in his dissertation for his doctoral degree in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania. The calculation considers the institution's assets and liabilities, and the full HCS service also incorporates cultural readiness aspects with the financial calculations to determine the merger runway.

Contact us today to learn more about this and other services HCS provides. Don't wait until it's too late and the only option remaining is closure.

https://t.co/PZlyDFzep2

#highereducation #highered #heconsolidation #higheredconsolidation #universitymergers #collegemergers #universityclosures #collegeclosures

[Brian Weinblatt @BrianWeinblatt]

I am excited and proud that the @HEConsolidation team developed and implemented these vital board and leadership training sessions. In an era of rapid transformation in higher education, it is incumbent on boards of trustees and senior leadership teams of colleges and universities to stay current with the latest industry trends.

[HCS Strategy @HCSStrategy]

@HEConsolidation is thrilled to announce our new board and leadership training services, focusing on merger, acquisition, affiliation, and consolidation opportunities. These sessions address the critical issues boards face today, providing actionable insights and strategies tailored to their institution’s unique needs. This is about ensuring trustees are prepared to lead strategically and precisely. Contact us today at [email protected] for a complimentary and confidential conversation about how we can help your board and senior leadership team stay on the cutting edge of institutional transformation in higher education.

https://t.co/AJVIunAIKc

#highereducation #highered #heconsolidation #higheredconsolidation #universitymergers #collegemergers #universityclosures #collegeclosures

[Detroit Lions PR @LionsPR]

The @Lions are 8-1 for the first time since 1954.

#OnePride

[HCS Strategy @HCSStrategy]

Check out my latest article: Starting the Conversation: Initial Steps and Consulting Support in Higher Education Mergers https://t.co/gZxhtqelN0

#highereducation #highered #heconsolidation #higheredconsolidation #universitymergers #collegemergers #universityclosures #collegeclosures

[Brian Weinblatt @BrianWeinblatt]

Toledo football lands commitment from son of Barry Sanders | The Blade https://t.co/NCA8UuqWLI