A wave of course‑sharing partnerships is expanding as cash‑strapped colleges look to preserve program breadth while trimming costs. Higher‑education commentators and practitioners describe course‑sharing as a practical collaboration model that allows students to take credit-bearing courses at partner institutions — online or in person — without changing home‑campus enrollment. Over 130 institutions now subscribe to Rize or similar consortia; Adrian College’s seven-year adoption reduced its academic budget by roughly 13% and enabled 38 new programs while avoiding layoffs, President Jeffrey Docking told reporters. Course‑sharing keeps small enrollments viable by consolidating demand across campuses and can reduce duplicated curricular investment. Administrators say it also supports student progress to degree by offering off‑cycle or niche courses students need to graduate. Implementation challenges include credit articulation, financial-aid packaging, and academic governance of joint offerings; institutions experimenting with cross‑campus advising and streamlined registration report higher student satisfaction than ad‑hoc out‑of‑system enrollments. Why it matters: Course-sharing offers a balance of academic continuity and fiscal triage; boards and provosts increasingly see it as a tool to preserve program variety without cutting faculty headcount.