The Higher Education Price Index reported a 3.6% rise in college operating costs for fiscal 2025, driven by administrative and faculty salaries, utilities and service employees—ratcheting pressure on campus budgets. At the same time, a new Higher Ed Innovation Index flagged that 49% of institutions are accelerating tech investments to manage more complex, mixed payment streams from students and employers, even as implementation—not funding—has emerged as the primary barrier. Campus finance leaders said they must modernize billing, support mixed funding sources like employer tuition benefits and digital wallets, and invest in staff training to manage the shift. The twin results underscore an operating environment where cost inflation and payment complexity are reshaping CFO priorities and forcing tradeoffs in staffing and student services.