Higher Ed Counsel & Strategic Solutions

It can be tempting for colleges and universities to treat insurance renewals as a routine administrative task, especially if loss experience has been good, or the institution has maintained the same coverage structure for years. But insurance is not simply a purchasing question. It is a risk management decision that requires broad assessment to ensure that coverage still aligns with current operations, emerging exposures, and institutional priorities. Below are questions for institutions to consider at and before their annual insurance renewal periods:

Student accommodation requests continue to evolve, and institutions are seeing a wider range of issues than in prior years. While many requests still involve familiar academic adjustments, colleges and universities are increasingly asked to evaluate accommodations connected to housing, attendance, technology (including AI), temporary health impacts, and mental health. Summer is an important time to assess whether institutional processes are prepared to address these requests in a way that is timely, individualized, and legally sound.

Greek life may be a campus tradition that students and prospective students value, but it also presents recurring legal and risk-management challenges that deserve focused summer attention. By the time students return in the fall, recruitment, social events, new-member activities, and chapter transitions can create immediate pressure on student affairs, campus safety, conduct, and legal teams. A summer risk review gives institutions the opportunity to assess whether existing expectations, oversight practices, and response mechanisms are aligned before fall activity intensifies.

Financial aid and student loan issues consistently generate complex questions for colleges and universities, particularly in light of the changes brought about by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and the rising cost of college. As the fall semester approaches, colleges and universities should expect more inquiries about aid packaging, eligibility, verification, professional judgment, satisfactory academic progress, and the information students receive about loan options. These questions are not only operational; they can raise significant legal and compliance concerns if your institution’s financial aid processes are unclear or inconsistent with current federal guidance.