Public colleges and universities face a difficult challenge in balancing the growing financial need of students and families with a growing institutional need for net revenue. Furthermore, research shows that families are increasingly anxious about how they will pay for college as their expected family contribution continues to increase. How can your institution meet the financial needs of students while also providing the net tuition revenue needed to invest in the college experience?
Watch this webinar to explore the latest financial aid benchmark data for four-year public institutions and hear strategies that will help you optimize your awarding. The presenters—veterans of enrollment and financial aid who have worked with dozens of public institutions—share new data from the 2023 Discounting Report and their insights on:
- Key discounting benchmarks for first-year and transfer students, broken down by resident and non-resident students.
- Trends in FAFSA filing and Pell-eligible enrollment.
- The critical role between FAFSA filing and higher yield rates.
- Why reducing melt rates and increasing retention rates are more essential than ever to enrollment and fiscal health.
- What a "strategic approach to awarding" really means for public institutions and the tremendous benefits they realize when adopting this approach.
About the presenters
April Bush, Vice President and Senior Consultant, RNL
Dr. April Bush joined RNL in 2014 and offers more than 15 years of on campus experience in higher education. Her areas of expertise include undergraduate admissions, scholarship and financial aid leveraging, recruitment event planning, staff training, and strategic planning for marketing and communication flows.
Derek Flynn, Vice President, RNL
Derek Flynn offers more than a dozen years of experience in enrollment management. He specializes in admissions strategies and maximizing the impact of an institution's financial aid packages on enrollment. Derek has consulted with more than 20 colleges and universities. His work has helped institutions increase enrollments, net revenue, and academic profile.
Wes Butterfield, Senior Vice President, RNL
Wes Butterfield oversees the consulting services division of RNL, which includes the areas of market research, financial aid services, student success, recruitment, and strategic enrollment consulting. In addition to providing leadership for the division, he has served more than 50 small and large four-year public and private campuses across the United States throughout his consulting career at RNL. For 16 years, his primary focus has been assisting campuses with achieving enrollment and net revenue goals through the strategic use of financial assistance, increasing the effectiveness of student recruitment through ForecastPlus™ predictive modeling, and optimizing their enrollment management efforts.