Coursera announced a strategic change: starting in 2026 the company will charge a 15% platform fee to colleges and employers using its learning platform. The move signals a pivot away from revenue‑share OPM partnerships toward a fee‑for‑service model and reflects broader market retrenchment after pandemic‑era growth in outsourced online programs. Market analysts say the fee could redraw the upskilling and university‑OPM landscape by reducing partner payouts and accelerating institutions’ moves to build in‑house digital capacity. Validated Insights data show new university‑OPM partnerships have fallen substantially and OPM revenue has contracted from pandemic projections; colleges must now reassess platform economics and vendor negotiation strategies.