Higher Education CFO Advisory

Financial clarity for institutions that lead.

Heightened Education Consulting partners with university presidents, boards, and finance teams to strengthen financial operations, resolve complex challenges, and build the foundations for sustainable institutional growth.

University campus
"The right financial strategy starts with understanding the institution — not imposing a template onto it."
Spencer Conroy, CEO — Heightened Education Consulting
What We Do

Built around the challenges universities actually face.

Our engagements are scoped to the institution — not the other way around. Whether you're navigating a deficit, overhauling a reporting process, or preparing for a capital campaign, we bring the expertise to move quickly and make an impact.

Cash Flow & Budget Assessment

We rapidly assess your cash flow position and budget situation, identifying immediate risks and opportunities within the first days of engagement.

Financial Reporting & Process Improvement

We evaluate your reporting workflows, chart of accounts, and close processes — and redesign them to meet the needs of leadership, lenders, and the board.

Strategic Priority Alignment

We translate institutional priorities — growth, cost reduction, fundraising, deferred maintenance — into financially grounded plans with clear timelines.

Board & Leadership Advisory

We help bridge the gap between management and the board, ensuring financial challenges and solutions are communicated clearly and constructively.

Accounting Team Development

We assess the capabilities of your finance office and identify staffing, training, or structural changes that unlock greater capacity and performance.

Ongoing Monitoring & Reporting

We stay engaged after implementation — tracking solution progress, refining cash flow forecasts, and delivering board-ready reporting packages each quarter.

How We Work

A structured path from discovery to lasting impact.

The first weeks of a new CFO engagement are critical. Our roadmap is designed to surface the right information quickly — and turn it into action.

Not every step applies equally to every institution. Cash flow may be an immediate priority for one university and a non-issue for another. Our process is a guide, not a script — and we move at the pace the institution requires.


Discuss Your Situation
01
Initial Assessment
Weeks 1–3
Cash Flow Assessment
Understand the cash flow situation from day one. If cash flow is a concern, this becomes our top priority immediately.
Budget Situation Review
Are you forecasting a deficit or surplus? How has the budget been derived, and what is the plan to address any shortfall?
University Priority Inventory
We align with the president and leadership team on the institution's key priorities — growth, cost reduction, fundraising, campus expansion, or deferred maintenance.
Board & Leadership Dynamics
We assess the relationship between the board and management — understanding where pressures exist and how financial oversight is structured.
Financial Reporting & Budgeting Process Evaluation
We review how financial statements and budget reports are developed, and assess what reporting requirements exist for lenders and other stakeholders.
Accounting Staff Capability Assessment
We evaluate the skills and capacity of your finance team — identifying gaps, workload imbalances, and readiness for change.
02
Solution Identification
Weeks 4–8
Solutions Inventory
We compile a prioritized list of challenges and solutions, noting any gaps where challenges exist without clear resolution paths.
Validate Solutions with Key Stakeholders
Solutions are reviewed with the president, finance staff, and leadership team — then presented to the board as part of their regular reporting cycle.
Cost-Benefit Analysis & Implementation Timeline
We build the business case for high-priority solutions, including timelines, vendor analysis where needed, and clear metrics for success.
Obtain Approval to Proceed
We present the business case to the president and key stakeholders, securing the approvals needed to move forward with implementation.
03
Solution Implementation
Week 8 Onwards
Implement High-Priority Solutions
We begin executing against the approved timeline, managing the implementation process and keeping leadership informed at every stage.
Implement Medium-Priority Solutions
Following the completion of high-priority work, we turn to the next tier of improvements — maintaining momentum and building on early wins.
04
Ongoing Monitoring & Reporting
Continuous
Monthly Financial Health Reviews
Regular budget-to-actual reviews with variance analysis, ensuring leadership has a clear and current picture of financial performance.
Rolling Cash Flow Forecasting
A 13-week rolling forecast updated monthly with the controller, and presented to the board each quarter.
Implementation Scorecard
A clear tracker of solution progress by owner and timeline, reviewed regularly with the president and finance team.
Annual Roadmap Refresh
At the 12-month mark, we reassess the original solutions inventory and identify new challenges — keeping the engagement relevant year over year.
Get in Touch

Let's talk about your institution.

Every engagement begins with a conversation. Tell us where you are, what's pressing, and what you're working toward — we'll take it from there.