Affordability is not just a number. It is a belief, one that takes shape through what students and families see, understand, and feel as they move through the college search process.
Colleges are working hard to communicate costs. The information is out there, but for many families and their students, the experience still feels confusing, disconnected, and hard to navigate. That is where the real problem lives: not in whether institutions are communicating, but in whether families truly understand. This webinar takes a close look at that gap.
Examining Encoura’s 2026 Affordability Communications Practices results, we will explore the entire affordability journey, from the initial digital interaction to the final decision. We will identify where clarity breaks down, how misunderstandings develop early, and why confidence, more than just cost, ultimately influences enrollment choices.
We will explore what affordability feels like in real time, including the roles of digital tools, personalization, communication strategies, conversations about borrowing, FAFSA support, and the reassurance students and their families need at the point of decision.
You will leave this webinar with practical, research-informed strategies you can use right away to create a clearer, more connected affordability experience, one that builds trust and helps families and students move forward with confidence. Because when students and their families understand, they act!