When it came to benefits for employees, higher education used to be at the head of the class. Back in the 1950s, academe was one of the first fields to embrace health-insurance coverage for illnesses that do not require hospitalization, and it later led the way toward long-term disability insurance. Universities and colleges approved domestic-partner coverage long before Fortune 500 companies jumped on the bandwagon. Now, however, higher education is a laggard when it comes to benefit trends. For its employees, that may be a good thing. American companies are trying to lower costs by trimming benefits, but colleges and universities are insulating workers from the most disruptive cuts. While employees are not likely to lose their existing perks--with the possible exception of retirement health care--experts say they will be taking on larger shares of the costs. Employees also are likely to get little or no financial assistance when they buy new kinds of benefits like long-term-care insurance. This article takes a look at what the future may hold for various benefits.