This past October, INNOVATE 2024, Capture Higher Ed’s virtual conference for recruitment marketing and enrollment management professionals, brought together thought leaders to tackle today’s most pressing higher ed topics. One standout session was, “How Families Are Paying for College and What’s New With FAFSA,” presented by Ed Recker, Director of Relationship Management at Sallie Mae.
With more than 16 million students enrolling in undergraduate programs this fall, how families pay for college is more relevant than ever. Recker’s presentation drew on the latest findings from Sallie Mae’s flagship research report, “How America Pays for College 2024,” offering fresh insights into:
- The evolving ways families fund higher education
- The impacts of the new FAFSA rollout
- Emerging trends like A.I. in college planning
During his session, Recker explored what drives families’ college decisions and uncovered surprising statistics about how cost factors into school choice:
- 81% of families eliminated at least one school based on cost.
- 61% ruled out schools before even researching them.
- 64% dropped schools after seeing financial aid packages.
“Here, of course, the question is, what cost information are families using when they are evaluating options early on?” Recker says.
Too often, families mistake the cost of attendance for the price they’ll pay — highlighting the critical need for clear messaging around net price and financial aid information.
Why You Should Watch
Whether you’re shaping recruitment strategies or supporting students through the FAFSA transition, this session gives you actionable insights:
- Understand what drives college choice — and how to meet families where they are.
- Navigate the FAFSA overhaul to better support your prospective students.
- See how AI is becoming part of the college planning conversation.
The session dives deep into Sallie Mae’s 17th annual study of American families and their attitudes toward paying for college. With findings based on 2,000 undergraduate students and parents surveyed by Ipsos, the research uncovers key trends and challenges facing families in today’s higher ed landscape.
If you couldn’t join us live, you can still catch Recker’s presentation on-demand. Watch the recording now and equip yourself with the data, trends and tools to better serve your students and families. Watch the session recording.
