National enrollment data show a shift: new undergraduate growth is concentrated in community colleges and certificate programs, while traditional four‑year institutions lag. The National Student Clearinghouse reported a decade-high in new enrollments driven largely by two-year colleges, underscoring students’ cost- and career-driven choices. State systems are feeling budget strain. The Nevada System of Higher Education proposed tuition and fee increases—up to 12% at four-year institutions and 9% at two-year colleges—to avert some 317 job cuts. The proposal ties staffing outcomes directly to revenue choices, with deeper increases aimed at fully closing projected budget shortfalls. The juxtaposition of rising community‑college demand and financial pressure on public campuses suggests trustees and state legislatures must balance affordability, staffing levels and deferred maintenance. Expect intensified lobbying over state funding allocations and scrutiny of tuition frameworks that could reshape access.