Scannell & Kurz Enrollment Management Blog

By now we’ve all heard stories and read articles on how college costs and subsequently student loans are rising so swiftly they could soon balloon out of control. The distribution of new freshmen may be shifting away from four year institutions toward two year institutions, but even so prospective students are still enrolling in college. These students are trusting the commonly held belief that earning a college degree remains one of the best ways to improve their economic situation. The key for colleges then is to make sure that this trust is well placed. Marketing your institution’s broad selection of amenities e.g., climbing walls, 60 inch plasma TVs, etc., may help convince students they’ll have a good time while in school, but these…Read more

You are probably thinking “oh no, not another article/blog about net price calculators!!” I know, I know, I pretty much feel the same way. However, Dr. Don Heller’s recent testimony before Congress on the topic of college affordability resonated with me for a number of reasons. A link to his brief yet thoughtful testimony is provided here. Dr. Heller points out that sticker price, not net price, is the driving factor in the perception of college costs for students from poorer families, as well as for many first generation students. He goes on to talk about the importance of institutions providing accurate, easily accessible information about financial aid eligibility. Here is where the net price calculator comes in. I recently visited…Read more

Whenever we work with a college or university, we spend some time getting to know the institution through its website. As a result, we have seen a lot of financial aid websites, and would like to offer a few “dos and don’ts” based on those reviews. Do make it easy to get to information about your sticker price. Tuition, fees, room, and board costs are one of the things students most want to see when they go to your website—so don’t bury your costs. At the same time, however, consider providing a link on that page to your net price calculator—particularly if your calculator does a good job of providing accurate estimates based not only on need but on other factors considered in your packaging policies. Also, remember to tell them…Read more

I just finished reading DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education, by Anya Kamenetz. Although it was published in March of 2010, it is still very relevant today as the consumer rebellion against rising college costs that she predicted has started to come to fruition, especially this year. In addition, all of the recent press about MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) was foreshadowed in her assertion that the availability of free course content on the web (via iTunes U, YouTube…) plus social media platforms to make high tech also high touch (e.g., 2for platform, online gaming…) has the potential to transform the delivery of education. She observes three reactions to these opportunities: A movement…Read more

The New York Times recently published a list of the “Cities with the Most College-Educated Residents” produced by the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. The Washington, D.C./Arlington-Alexandria, VA area tops the list with 46.8% percent of residents holding college degrees in 2010. Here are the top 10: As the Times article points out, college graduates tend to be attracted to places that have lots of other college graduates. The Washington Monthly College Guide blog reported this week on a novel effort by one city to attract more college graduates. Niagara Falls, NY announced that the city would pay two years worth of student loan debt for any college graduate who would relocate to the city. The Buffalo/Niagara Falls area ranks 59th…Read more