Charles R. Goulding and Nimra Shakoor examine how the Kean-NJCU merger could turn financial necessity into educational opportunity by expanding 3D printing access and modern maker spaces.
On March 5, 2025, the New Jersey City University (NJCU) Board of Trustees voted to move forward with Kean University’s proposal for a full institutional merger. The stated goal was to “expand opportunity and access for all students” in New Jersey (Kean University). This decision is part of a growing wave of college consolidations across the United States as schools face financial pressures, shrinking enrollment, and a rapidly evolving educational landscape.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), undergraduate enrollment in the U.S. declined by 15% between 2010 and 2021, with only slight rebound expected in the coming decade (NCES). This trend is often linked to the so-called “demographic cliff:” a projected drop in the college-aged population stemming from lower birth rates following the 2008 financial crisis. In response, many universities are pursuing mergers as a strategy to expand academic offerings, enhance campus facilities, and streamline operations (S&P Global).
Financially, merging universities can prove advantageous as well: Moody’s, a leading Wall Street credit rating agency, endorsed the Kean-NJCU merger by upgrading the rating of NJCU’s financial outlook. The “big three” agency cited NJCU’s reduced operating losses and strategically monetized real estate assets as key factors in the improved rating, an impressive turnaround from its negative rating held just 15 months prior (NJ.com). At the same time, universities are exploring how to better equip students for a changing world. One possibility lies in maker spaces and 3D printing technologies—resources that encourage hands-on learning, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Used strategically, higher education institutions such as Kean and NJCU have an opportunity to use consolidations not just as a survival strategy, but also as a springboard to modernize facilities and invest in additive manufacturing technologies that prepare students for future careers.
Current Scope of 3D Printing
Once limited to engineering programs, 3D printing now supports a wide range of academic and professional fields (3D Printing Academy):
- Art & Design: sculptures, fashion
- Architecture: Construction material development, modeling
- Education: Experiential learning
- Medical: Custom implants and prosthetics, surgical training
Maker Spaces—labs equipped with tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and coding stations—are becoming essential campus hubs where students can learn by doing. In 2019, about 27% of U.S. colleges reported having at least one maker space, and the number continued to grow in the following years (Johns Hopkins University Press).
Kean University and NJCU
The merger between Kean University and New Jersey City University presents a timely opportunity to unite resources and expand student access to technology. Kean, an R2 research institution, brings research infrastructure and scale. NJCU, with a strong urban mission, already offers additive manufacturing certification programs and hosts events like Maker’s Day, which commonly features 3D printing (NJCU Career Training; Maker’s Day).
This merger could allow the new, unified institution to create or expand publicly accessible maker spaces and further integrate 3D printing into the curriculum. Additionally, the improved Moody’s rating reflects growing confidence in the university’s fiscal management and may lower NJCU’s borrowing costs, potentially enabling future investments in educational infrastructure and technology as well.
Pennsylvania State University
In May, Penn State’s Board of Trustees voted to close 7 of its 12 Commonwealth campuses following the May 2027 semester due to declining enrollment, flat funding, and rising costs (StateCollege.com). Despite recent cuts, Penn State maintains one of the most robust 3D printing infrastructures in the country. The university’s Maker Commons program provides free academic and personal printing, supported by ten pickup locations and a dedicated help center (Maker Commons). However, a substantial portion of these resources are housed on Commonwealth campuses slated for closure, including advanced prototyping tools located at the Fayette LaunchBox (Penn State University). The shuttering of Fayette and other Commonwealth campuses raises important questions about future accessibility of these resources.
With nearly 90,000 students system-wide (Penn State Enrollment), consolidation of these resources to the remaining five of these campuses could allow for a more unified and efficient promotion across campuses.
University of Wisconsin System
In 2018, the University of Wisconsin System merged its 13 two-year colleges with nearby four-year institutions, citing financial challenges and enrollment declines (Ithaka S+R).
UW–Madison features multiple 3D printing labs and an extensive equipment inventory, available to students and faculty for a variety of academic applications (UW 3D Printing). In this example along with many others, post-merger systems can centralize resources for availability to more students.
University System of Georgia
Since 2011, the University System of Georgia has reduced its number of institutions from 35 to 25 through six rounds of consolidation. The most recent merger, between East Georgia State College and Georgia Southern University, was approved in April 2025 (USG News).
With more than three-hundred and fifty thousand students system-wide, Georgia’s public institutions feature a range of 3D printing and maker space resources. However, similar to the UW system, centralized investment and coordination will be key to scaling these tools effectively across merged campuses.
Finances of Consolidation
As universities confront decisions around consolidation, they must weigh the availability of liquid assets against future financial obligations. Harvard Management Company, which oversees the University’s endowment, has historically prioritized illiquid investments. As of 2024, over 70% of the portfolio was allocated to such assets (Harvard Management Company).
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman has backed the Trump administration’s move to freeze federal grants to Harvard, criticizing the University’s $53 billion endowment as poorly managed (New York Post). Amid depressed market values, liquid assets are difficult to sell without incurring losses, and any capital gains from liquidated investments could result in higher tax liabilities. This situation underscores a broader challenge: universities cannot assume their endowments will provide immediate financial relief when considering consolidation.
Moreover, as institutional consolidations and closures accelerate, some university-led research may shift to the private sector for commercial development. This transition could make such innovations eligible for Research and Development (R&D) tax credits, supporting their path to commercialization.
The Research & Development Tax Credit
The now permanent Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit is available for companies developing new or improved products, processes and/or software.
3D printing can help boost a company’s R&D Tax Credits. Wages for technical employees creating, testing, and revising 3D printed prototypes are typically eligible expenses toward the R&D Tax Credit. Similarly, when used as a method of improving a process, time spent integrating 3D printing hardware and software can also be an eligible R&D expense. Lastly, when used for modeling and preproduction, the costs of filaments consumed during the development process may also be recovered.
Whether it is used for creating and testing prototypes or for final production, 3D printing is a great indicator that R&D Credit-eligible activities are taking place. Companies implementing this technology at any point should consider taking advantage of R&D Tax Credits.
Looking Ahead: Consolidation as a Catalyst
Experts warn that the “demographic cliff”—the shrinking number of traditional college-age students—could result in the closure or merger of hundreds of colleges over the next decade (NPR; Forbes).
But with foresight, these mergers can be more than defensive moves. By investing in scalable technologies like 3D printing and expanding hands-on learning opportunities through maker spaces, colleges can become more relevant to today’s students and more resilient to tomorrow’s challenges. In an era of transformation, university consolidation can be less of a contraction and instead be a launchpad for innovation.
