After two years of studying survey responses and digging into the numbers, I’ve realized one thing easy and important about how households and college students navigate the school planning journey: most households don’t stroll away from school due to the value tag itself. They stroll away as a result of they don’t perceive what that quantity means.
Within the final two years, I’ve written 4 main experiences: the 2024 High School Student College Planning Report, the 2024 High School Students’ Perceptions of College Financing Report, the 2025 E-Expectations Trend Report, and the 2025 Prospective Family Engagement Study. Collectively, they draw on responses from almost 6,000 highschool college students and nearly 10,000 potential households, giving us a 360-degree view of how individuals navigate the school planning journey.
What these research, and broader analysis (George-Jackson & Gast, 2015; Marcus, 2016; Rainey & Taylor, 2024; Uperberg, 2023; Gallup & Lumina Basis, 2025), present us is straightforward however pressing: value isn’t just about {dollars}. It’s about readability, confidence, and belief.
Let’s begin with what I realized from the broader analysis.
What analysis tells us about value, assist, and school selections
Throughout the literature, a number of constant themes emerge about how households understand value, assist, and worth in school planning:
Sticker value stops the dialog
Households typically see the total value of attendance and assume it’s what they’ll pay. Most are unaware of web value calculators, or if they’re conscious, they have no idea how one can interpret the outcomes (George-Jackson & Gast, 2015). This lack of information creates a “sticker shock” impact that stops many college students from even contemplating sure establishments, significantly these with increased revealed tuition charges. Analysis reveals this disproportionately impacts first-generation and lower-income households.
My takeaway: If sticker value ends the dialog earlier than it begins, establishments should lead with readability about web value and affordability, not bury these numbers deep on a web site.
Mortgage concern limits choices
Households are deeply cautious of borrowing, formed by private experiences, neighborhood narratives, and nationwide headlines about pupil debt. This concern typically pushes college students towards the most cost effective possibility or away from school altogether, no matter match or long-term return (Rainey & Taylor, 2024; Uperberg, 2023). Whereas many college students nonetheless anticipate borrowing, the emotional weight of debt creates hesitancy, stress, and in some instances, an entire halt within the school search course of.
My takeaway: Faculties must acknowledge debt nervousness instantly, providing instruments like mortgage compensation calculators, mortgage compensation help packages (LRAPs), or clear messaging that frames borrowing as an funding, not a entice.
Faculty worth remains to be believed, however proof is demanded
Regardless of issues, most households nonetheless consider increased schooling is a worthwhile funding and a pathway to upward mobility (Gallup & Lumina Basis, 2025). Nevertheless, they’re more and more asking schools to “present the maths.” They need to see profession placement charges, common earnings by main, and clear proof {that a} diploma will result in tangible outcomes (Marcus, 2016). Merely promising that school “pays off” is now not sufficient.
My takeaway: Establishments should spotlight outcomes early and infrequently— weaving graduate tales, wage knowledge, and profession ROI into recruitment messaging, not ready till yield season.
Assist issues, however solely whether it is understood
Monetary assist has the potential to fully change affordability for college students, however too typically, the best way it’s communicated undermines its influence. Many college students and households report being unclear on how assist works, what varieties of assist can be found, and how one can apply (Rainey & Taylor, 2024). Complicated language, late timing, and lack of plain explanations imply that assist packages typically add to emphasize as a substitute of decreasing it.
My takeaway: Assist communication should be simplified, visible, and private. Households want plain language, early outreach, and real-world examples of how assist adjustments the underside line.
Revolutionize your monetary assist affords with video
What RNL analysis reveals about value, readability, and school selections
Sticker shock is actual and deceptive
Households typically see the total value of attendance and assume it’s what they’ll pay.
- 72% of households eradicated a university primarily based on sticker value alone (RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP, 2025).
- Solely 12% of scholars used a web value calculator (RNL, Ardeo, & Halda, 2024).
- Greater than half of oldsters nonetheless didn’t know their doubtless assist after visiting a university web site (RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP, 2025).
College students say: Sticker value stops the dialog.
Households say: We aren’t asking for a reduction; we’re asking for readability.
My takeaway: If households have no idea the true value, they stroll away earlier than there’s even an opportunity to clarify. That’s not a cash drawback; it’s a communication drawback.
Readability is the brand new forex
Confusion about assist derails progress towards enrollment.
- 57% of scholars began however didn’t end at the very least one utility as a result of “it appeared too costly” (RNL, Ardeo, & Halda, 2024).
- 65% of potential households say last value (after monetary assist and scholarships) is the decisive issue to decide on a university, and 80% of scholars agree (RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP, 2025).
- 43% of households have bother discovering a monetary assist or scholarship calculator, and almost 4 out of ten can’t discover scholarship information on school web sites (RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP, 2025).
College students say: Confusion kills momentum.
Households say: If we don’t perceive the method, we won’t end it.
My takeaway: Readability isn’t just good, it’s forex. If value feels hidden or difficult, households spend their belief elsewhere.
Concern of loans drives the dialog
Mortgage concern shapes how households understand each possibility.
- 71% of scholars stated mortgage issues formed their planning negatively; 8 in 10 nonetheless plan to borrow (RNL, Ardeo, & Halda, 2025).
- 72% of scholars, and 51% of households (69% of first-generation), can be extra prone to enroll if the school supplied a Mortgage Reimbursement Help Program (RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP, 2025).
College students say: Debt is emotional, not simply monetary.
Households say: We concern making a mistake that follows us for years.
My takeaway: Till you handle mortgage concern head-on, households will see debt as a dealbreaker, not a doorway.
Households are concerned, however typically ignored
Mother and father and caregivers play a central position, however they typically lack the instruments.
- 80% of scholars contain a father or mother or caregiver in school planning, however first-gen mother and father are much less assured reviewing assist (RNL, Ardeo, & Halda, 2024).
- Electronic mail is the popular channel for all households (90%), but consciousness of portals and instruments is low, particularly amongst low-income and first-gen households (RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP, 2025).
College students say: Households need to assist however want greater than a brochure.
Households say: Embody us; don’t simply assume we all know the place to look.
My takeaway: Households are the co-pilots of this journey. Ignore them, and also you danger shedding the coed, too.
Know-how wants a human contact
digital instruments can open doorways, however college students and households nonetheless crave connection.
- 91% of scholars use school web sites; 65% usually tend to apply after a digital tour (RNL, Halda, & Trendy Campus, 2025).
- 1 in 4 apply after partaking with an AI assistant, however many nonetheless observe up with e mail (RNL, Halda, & Trendy Campus, 2025).
- Solely 53% of households find out about father or mother/household portals, with even decrease consciousness amongst first-gen households (RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP, 2025).
College students say: Sure, we’re digital, however we’re additionally human.
Households say: Know-how helps, however we nonetheless need an individual on the opposite facet.
My takeaway: digital opens the door, however human connection makes households stroll by it.
Price isn’t just about affordability; it’s about notion, belief, and understanding.
Households and college students aren’t asking for a reduction; they’re asking for readability. When establishments lead with transparency, plain language, and humanity, they remodel the best way college students and households see increased schooling.
It is a subject we’ll discover in our webinar, The Price Tag Problem: How Families Weigh Cost, Stress, and Value and What You Can Do About It. We’ll take a look at the most recent knowledge on how households really feel about school affordability, borrowing, and the worth of faculty.
References
- Gallup, & Lumina Basis. (2025). The state of higher education 2025. Gallup Analytics.
- George-Jackson, C., & Gast, M. J. (2015). Addressing information gaps: Disparities in financial awareness and preparedness on the road to college. Journal of Scholar Monetary Assist, 44(3), Article 3.
- Marcus, J. (2016, January 22). Facing growing scrutiny, colleges set out to prove their value. The Hechinger Report.
- Rainey, E. A., & Taylor, Z. W. (2024). “I had no idea”: At-risk college student knowledge of financial aid and resources. Journal of Scholar Monetary Assist, 53(2), Article 4.
- RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP. (2025). 2025 Prospective family engagement study. Ruffalo Noel Levitz.
- RNL, Ardeo, & Halda. (2024). 2024 High school students’ perceptions of college financing. Ruffalo Noel Levitz.
- RNL, Halda, & Trendy Campus. (2025). 2025 E-Expectations trend report. Ruffalo Noel Levitz.
- RNL & Halda. (2024). 2024 High school student college planning report. Ruffalo Noel Levitz. Uperberg, A. (2023). Families, relationships and paying for college. Journal of Scholar Monetary Assist, 52(2), Article 2.
