Scheming

Resources, meet reality. It’s true of higher ed as well as journalism and probably a host of other professions. There are a million things we want to do but time and money aren’t on our side.

I find myself, all too often, getting an idea and then quickly dismissing it because of that time-finances conundrum. Instead of doing that, maybe it will be better to document the ideas for potential execution in the future. And if nothing else, maybe my little sparks will become someone else’s action. If one person benefits, that’s better than the idea dying with me!

The university I work for has overnight campus visits a couple of times per year, in addition to planned visit weekends and the regular campus tours, etc. The marketing department is involved in promoting these events but not in executing them. (Obviously, a matter of resources and expertise). However, I saw an article about Kmart providing a concierge service during fashion week and thought: why can’t we do something similar?

We could have an account that prospective students (or their parents) could tweet or text if they, say, forgot a toothbrush or couldn’t find the closest restroom. Students could answer them through the same medium or give a call. It could get unwieldy very quickly, but I think we have a small enough campus, with a tight community, that this kind of service would really be a testament to our brand and create an experience that would stick with students and parents.

Is anyone in higher ed doing something like this? I’d love to see what it looks like.

 

The elephant in the room

I was a prospective student twice – undergrad and grad school. I was a student-by-osmosis for the last three years (thanks to the hubs). I have a very real understanding of both tuition bills and passing classes in addition to experiencing the joys – and stresses – of paying a mortgage and trying to save for retirement.

There’s been a lot of news in the world of higher ed about the stresses and poor emotional health among college freshmen. They worry about paying for school, holding down a job. Meanwhile, their parents are living “lives of constant economic struggle and worry“.  The kicker: among all the things we worry about – mortgages, retirement, taxes – the one top thing folks in that survey said would help alleviate their stress is making higher education more affordable.

This is a huge issue for students, their parents and influencers. But as the marketing department, we can’t control at what price the university has to set tuition. We can’t control who gets scholarships or grants. We can’t promise any amount of aid. We can say that we do our best to help students and families find solutions, but sometimes that’s a bitter pill. I can say that – I’m looking at repayment of law school loans at this moment.

I think these reassurances or support and small fixes work in impersonal pieces like direct mail. But what about social media? What about one-on-one? We have to recognize that funding an education is difficult. There are many times I come across interesting articles about the cost of an education or ways to fund your education, but I hesitate to throw those into the social media arena, being hesitant about getting negative feedback. I feel like I need a more proactive, armed approach when it comes to discussing the dollars and cents.

What would that include? Maybe:

1. A transparent breakdown of what tuition pays for. We have a lot of Ph.Ds who teach and very few graduate assistants. That’s a lot more expensive, but if it’s a benefit you value, then it’s worth the extra bucks. I seem to remember Zach Briton from George Washington University explaining a similar breakdown that school has done, but I can’t find it.

2. Some really good financial literacy offerings on campus that could counsel students about loan consolidation, interest rates, alternative sources of funding, etc. I went to “loan counseling” at my institution and there was no counseling, just a lot of paper signing.

3. Great outcomes to back up the value of the degree. I think most people have this. My only issue is that the cost of the degree in 1980 and the great outcomes today aren’t necessarily parallel to what “kids” today are experiencing. So making these outcomes more relevant and real is important.

Other ideas? I feel like this is such a sticky area. One that most institutions gloss over (“don’t think about that right now, you have 4 years before worrying about it!”). But could it be a differentiator? Not “we’ll give you a bargain-basement education so you can afford it” but “we’ll give you the tools to make a high-quality education as affordable as possible and prepare you for the consequences.” It’s providing an extra service, one that people might not realize they need right this minute, but one that they will appreciate several years down the line.