Recommendation: Institutions should review each part of the enrollment funnel to bring communication in line with students’ expectations and provide additional, personalized support. The application should not be where communication stops, as the majority of respondents are interested in continued communication with the university even after submitting their application.
Ability to Succeed, Modality and Cost Affect Enrollment
In addition to tuition cost as a major component in determining enrollment, 60% of students said that the current economy is a factor in not considering or continuing university enrollment. The survey also revealed that application fees can be a barrier to enrollment, with one-third of students (32%) stating they would be more likely to apply to a school with no application fee. Class delivery modality also impacts enrollment with just 16% of respondents more inclined to select a fully in-person program, while 41% and 34% are more inclined to select a hybrid or fully online program, respectively. Finally, nearly half of respondents (48%) are concerned about their ability to succeed in college when applying.
Recommendations: To combat cost concerns, financial aid information is crucial to the enrollment process, with 58% of students reporting that this type of information is imperative while applying, even after admission. In addition, institutions should consider offering tuition reductions, as 51% of students said that individual tuition discounts (rather than an overall decrease in tuition) would impact their likelihood of attending a university.
Sixty-nine percent of respondents indicated that their career outlook and options are very important when determining what university to attend. Institutions should spotlight the value of degrees and the career outcomes they lead to on the university website and in communications to students and continue to communicate with students after they apply to build connection.
“In an environment where enrollment yields are under pressure, institutions have to be intentional about the application and enrollment process, engaging students along their journey proactively, providing the support they need and demonstrating the value of a degree,” said Jim Milton, Chairman and CEO at Anthology. “This survey lays out critical steps institutions can take to align the admission and enrollment process to fit shifting expectations and ultimately build more durable relationships between schools and perspective students.”
This press release originally appeared online.
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