Higher education is operating in one of the most volatile and fast-moving technology landscapes it has ever seen. Budget constraints, staffing shortages, and rising expectations from students and faculty have prompted institutions to reassess the digital ecosystems that power their day-to-day operations. In most cases, the tools that once held entire institutions together - paper forms, PDFs, spreadsheets, email chains, and locally-installed software - can no longer deliver the speed, consistency, transparency, or compliance campus operations require.

As higher ed continues to evolve, cloud-based systems have become the backbone of efficient and resilient institutional operations. They support everything from instructional delivery to administrative workflows, student services, research operations, and campus-wide governance. According to EDUCAUSE’s 2024 Horizon Report, cloud-first strategies are among the top institutional priorities for modernizing infrastructure, enhancing agility, and mitigating technical debt as legacy systems become obsolete. This shift is not just operational - it’s strategic. Cloud tools enable institutions to adapt quickly, maintain continuity, meet compliance standards, and deliver a better experience for students, faculty, and staff. But as more tools enter the market, institutions must prioritize not just which cloud platforms to adopt, but why, how, and with what governance.

Below is an updated, research-backed look at the essential cloud tools that higher education institutions should have in 2026, along with the key questions to ask before choosing any platform.

Why Cloud-Based Tools Are Now Mission-Critical

Higher education is increasingly distributed, with hybrid work, hybrid teaching, remote services, and digital-first student expectations requiring solutions that can operate at scale without relying on local installations, manual processes, or patchwork departmental tools.

Three forces are driving rapid cloud adoption:

1. Operational Agility
   Institutions require systems that support rapid change, including new compliance requirements, shifting enrollment patterns, onboarding waves, and emergency response planning. Cloud platforms can be updated instantly without downtime or local configuration.
   
   
2. Security & Compliance Pressure
   With data breaches in higher education rising 44% since 2021, institutions can no longer rely on siloed, user-managed files stored across desktops and email. Cloud platforms offer centralized security, audit logs, and encryption.
   
   
3. Student-Centered Experience Demands
   Students expect digital-first interactions for everything from advising to financial aid. Even minor operational delays impact retention and student trust. Cloud tools reduce wait times, eliminate redundant data entry, and simplify the student journey.

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The Essential Cloud Tools Every Institution Should Have in 2026

1. Cloud-Based Learning & Engagement Systems

While the LMS remains the anchor of instructional technology, institutions increasingly rely on an ecosystem of tools for assessment, content delivery, accessibility, and community engagement. Cloud-hosted solutions enable instructors to deliver consistent learning experiences, regardless of whether students are on campus, in a hybrid setting, or fully remote. Important considerations include:

• WCAG 2.1 AA compliance for accessibility
• Integrations with SIS and authentication systems
• Mobile-first design for on-the-go learning
• Explicit uptime guarantees (99.9% is considered industry-standard)

2. Cloud Productivity & Collaboration Suites

Administrative teams now operate across campuses, time zones, and departments. Cloud collaboration suites (document editing, shared storage, video conferencing, messaging) enable real-time coordination without sending attachments or maintaining local versions of files.

When evaluating collaboration platforms, institutions should confirm:

• Strong identity management with SSO
• Encryption and retention policies suitable for FERPA-regulated data
• Granular permissioning to prevent accidental data exposure

3. Cloud-Based Identity, Authentication, and Access Governance

As cloud ecosystems continue to expand, identity governance becomes increasingly critical. Institutions require centralized control over who can access which systems, how frequently, and in what capacity. Modern cloud identity platforms ensure:

• SSO and MFA across all institutional tools
• Automated role provisioning and deprovisioning
• Visibility through audit logs and access reports

This category is non-negotiable for any institution scaling its cloud footprint.

4. Cloud Case Management, Student Services, and Digital Experience Platforms

Student success centers, financial aid offices, registrar teams, and advising departments increasingly require cloud tools to track cases, communicate updates, and monitor service bottlenecks. The best cloud service systems provide:

• Digital forms for intake and documentation
• Workflow routing for approvals or follow-ups
• Dashboards that highlight service queues
• Mobile access for students

Cloud-based case management can significantly reduce processing times and free staff from the need to email PDFs back and forth.

5. Cloud-Based Forms & Workflow Automation

Few operational areas are as universally problematic across higher ed as forms and approvals. From student petitions to HR onboarding, faculty contracts, research requests, and curriculum proposals, institutions rely on thousands of workflows - many of which still exist as static PDFs, Word documents, or email-based processes. A modern cloud-based automation platform allows:

• Drag-and-drop creation of forms
• Automated routing and notifications
• Role-based permissioning
• Full audit logs and compliance features
• Integrations with SIS, HR, finance, and identity systems

Real institutions have already demonstrated the impact:

• Southern Illinois University Edwardsville eliminated 22,500 sheets of paper per year and reduced approval cycles to an average of four business days through cloud-based workflow automation.
• Fresno State launched 28 cloud-based applications and 47 integrations in under a year by empowering staff with a no-code automation tool.

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The Bottom Line: Cloud Tools Should Be an Institutional Strategy, Not a Patchwork

The most successful institutions are adopting a portfolio approach, replacing scattered, department-managed tools with cloud platforms that centralize data, streamline processes, and provide transparency across the lifecycle of student and administrative operations. When chosen thoughtfully, cloud tools reduce manual work, mitigate security risks, and provide the digital foundation needed for innovation.

As your institution evaluates its technology roadmap, keep an eye on the foundational categories: learning tools, collaboration systems, identity management, service platforms, and workflow automation. Each one plays a critical role in building an agile, student-centered institution prepared for the next decade of higher education change.

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Kuali Build

If your institution is exploring cloud-based forms and workflow automation, Kuali Build is specifically designed for higher education, emphasizing ease of use, deep integration capabilities, and strong security standards. If you’d like to see how Build helps campuses eliminate PDFs, reduce approval time, and modernize processes, you can explore more at https://www.kuali.co/products/build

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