To say the American economy is in a precarious mode would be the understatement of the century. Banks have foundered, American industry is looking for federal bailouts, and belts are tightening everywhere. Not surprisingly, higher education officials at private institutions are wondering which students will be able to afford ever-escalating tuitions. Public school and community college administrators worry about affording the construction of new facilities for burgeoning enrollments as they pick up the runoff from independent institutions and prepare for laid-off workers looking to retool for new careers. Now more than ever, it seems, colleges and universities are desperate to find new revenue streams quickly. In this article, the author discusses how some savvy colleges and universities, including Cornell University (NY), Northwestern University (IL), and Arizona State University, are using digital asset management tools to uncover new revenue streams. According to a principal analyst for CMS Watch, a Maryland-based market research firm that covers content-oriented technologies, while this approach may fly in the face of the traditionally open philosophy of higher education, it has proven to be a successful strategy for bolstering revenue at a time when coffers are running low.