Higher education

In the current economic slowdown, colleges and universities are feeling the financial squeeze. Whether the beneficiary of public funding, private research grants, an established endowment, or a combination thereof, educational institutions are increasingly focused on fiscal responsibility and operational effectiveness.

At Grant Thornton, our higher education audit, tax and advisory professionals have dedicated a majority of their careers working with or for colleges and universities. As thought leaders, we regularly develop and distribute speeches, articles and other higher education-related publications. We also provide financial, operational and fiduciary advice in a range of areas, including:

• Audit and Tax Services  — ensuring compliance with accounting standards, financial-reporting practices and tax regulations specific to public and private educational institutions;
• BUDGET Review  — using our unique methodology, we conduct on-site visits, work with in-house accounting professionals, and perform a thorough evaluation of institutional budget-planning and management processes;
• Financial Planning and Analysis  — helping universities assess current and projected resource allocations, identify and target new forms of funding and revenue, and develop financial models to address future conditions;
• Higher Education IT — providing information technology assessments and new-systems planning, selection, and implementation for research, administrative, teaching and other functions;
• Organizational Change  — working with educational leadership, administrators and faculty to identify and transition to more effective organizational, operational and financial structures and systems;
• Outsourcing Advice  — helping identify “non-core” service activities, evaluating third-party providers and negotiating contracts with vendors, including executive-search and other high-value activities; and
• Strategic Planning  — enabling educational leadership to make collective, informed decisions that lead to positive changes in the way an institution is positioned, marketed, managed and operated.
  

Download our services overview for more information.