The purpose of this project was to explore the impact of receiving nudges (notifications) on enrollment in the On My Way Pre-K program. Past research suggests that nudging is a way to positively impact behavior. Using text messaging, families who demonstrated an interest in On My Way Pre-K (either through completing the initial application or…

In an era in which public postsecondary institutions increasingly face budget constraints, the state residency of students has become an important factor in complex decisions on tuition-setting policies and enrollment management. This report examines the current trends and impact of out-of-state tuition premiums -- defined as the additional amount…

The purpose of this study was to use the iron triangle as a theoretical framework or lens through which to explore the use of long-term tuition freezes as a tuition strategy adopted by higher education institutions to control costs while maintaining or improving quality and increasing access for students from underrepresented populations. Through…

With an increasing number of institutions chasing a shrinking pool of prospective applicants, most schools are actively on the lookout for new recruitment strategies for reaching and converting potential students. A key component of the prospective student experience and an important factor in students' decision-making process, faculty are better…

Trustees face complex choices related to costs and efficiency as they navigate new accountability policies, financial headwinds, and a changing global marketplace for college education. The latest release in a series of trustee guides from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni's Institute for Effective Governance, "Bold Leadership, Real…

The current study examined the relationships among student and high school characteristics and the decision to enroll in either a two- or four-year college or university. The purpose of the research was to assess the feasibility of using enrollment propensity (i.e., the likelihood of enrolling in college) as a baseline to evaluate the…

The Pittsburgh Promise is a scholarship program that provides $5,000 per year toward college tuition for public high school graduates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who earned a 2.5 GPA and a 90% attendance record. This study used a difference-in-difference design to assess whether the introduction of the Promise scholarship program directly…

Ultimately, making financial aid "freshman friendly" also makes financial aid "sophomore friendly," "junior friendly," and "senior friendly." Indiana University has in place an Office of Enrollment Management (OEM) model that includes focused financial aid packaging strategies complemented by unique contact…

Institutions across the country continue to ponder and evaluate strategies for aligning financial aid to complement their enrollment goals. Two Indiana University enrollment managers examine the purposeful application of institutional aid in financial aid packaging. In response to the debate about the of merit-based aid vs. the appropriate share…

It can be difficult for any customer service environment to keep up with the whirlwind pace of change in today's technology-centric world. The challenge can be particularly daunting in an institutional setting accustomed to deliberative, consensus-driven change. The Office of the Registrar at Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) has a…

This article reports that the nation's economic crisis is bringing colleges higher borrowing costs, smaller endowments, tighter budgets, and fears over the availability of loans for their students. Yet one of the most critical factors in colleges' health--student enrollment--appears to be largely holding strong, at least for now. Tuition and fees…

In state houses around the country, one of the common higher education themes is affordability. As tuition costs have increased at rates exceeding that of inflation, students and families have pressed their legislative representatives to examine these increases. Affordability is a term used by various constituent groups, and its definition varies…

In responding to internal and external pressures for accountability in higher education, especially in the areas of improved learning outcomes and student success, IT leaders may soon become critical partners with academic and student affairs. IT can help answer this call for accountability through "academic analytics," which is emerging…

The Twenty-first Century Scholars Program is an early-intervention program intended to improve college enrollment among low-income students in Indiana. The Scholars program provides support services--plus a guarantee of grant aid equivalent to public college tuition--to students who pledge in eighth grade to meet five criteria: (1) complete high…