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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Can the ‘Iron Triangle’ Be Bent?

Institutions Attempt to Maintain Quality and Access While Freezing Tuition
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From Volume 52 Number 2 | Jan–Mar 2026 2026
By Rich Michal, EdD
Planning Types: Resource Planning

Amid declining public trust, demographic challenges, and mounting concerns about affordability, many institutions are asking whether the long-held “iron triangle” of higher
education—where reducing cost inevitably diminishes quality and underrepresented student access—still holds true. This article draws on case studies of Purdue University and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, which sustained decade-long tuition freezes. Their experiences reveal lessons in leadership, culture, process reengineering, financial positioning, and trade-offs that suggest the iron triangle can, in some cases, be bent.

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