Author: Dwyer Education Strategies

During these challenging times for enrollment managers, the focus tends to be on admissions. Enrollment managers are working to grow the inquiry base, better focus search strategies, increase folder completion rates and maximize yield. While juggling all of the recruitment issues related to admission, we can lose sight of the importance of the financial aid operation.I have had the pleasure of visiting more than 200 colleges and universities throughout the United States and have taken detailed looks at the various approaches to financial aid. When identifying problems with approaches to financial aid, the missteps are fairly common.

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If you do not have an heir apparent currently working at your college or university, consider your Director of Financial Aid.

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I sometimes find difficult enrollment challenges and problematic trends that institutional leaders, board members, faculty and alums have not recognized, or have not taken seriously. Sometimes, problematic outcomes can be hidden by other entities and practices.

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The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) has made dramatic changes to its Code of Ethics and Professional Practices after pressure from the Department of Justice. In the past, the organization had some strict rules which the DOJ found restrained trade.

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Alex Reinstadtler, Vice President, Business Development Loan Science Outstanding educational debt in this country exceeds $1.5 trillion. CNBC reports that one million people default on their student loans every year. The default rate at any college or university is an important metric. High default rates can mean limits on participation in Title IV federal financial aid programs and even losing access to federal financial aid funds. What can colleges and universities do if they are faced with rising default rates? It is critical to preface any discussion about student loan default prevention with the universal truth that the federal student […]

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Dr. Marylouise Fennell, Principal, Hyatt-Fennell Dr. Scott D. Miller, President, Virginia Wesleyan University We have written in the past about the importance of institutional branding, a factor that is especially critical these days as enrollment markets continue on their most competitive and aggressive course in history. As colleges and universities seek to differentiate themselves from their competition, a carefully constructed brand is vital to recruiting students. Even a strong brand, however, is only as good as its effective use in the right market, at the right time, with the right strategy behind it. We offer some advice on the effective […]

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John W. Dysart, President, The Dysart Group For many colleges and universities, it has been another rough year as hundreds failed to meet their recruitment goals. The national trends are discouraging. Demographics continue to be problematic and are more negatively pronounced in certain regions of the country. The greatest declines in the number of students enrolled in college in 2019 were realized in Florida, California, Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania. College enrollments declined for the eighth consecutive year in 2019. The latest represents a drop of approximately 300,000 students in a single cycle. It has been predicted that college enrollments will […]

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John W. Dysart, President, The Dysart Group The market for traditional, undergraduate students continues to be challenging. Demographic declines in the number of high school graduates have translated into fewer undergraduate enrollments at many colleges and universities. Enrollment managers, business officers and presidents are looking for new sources for headcount and tuition revenue. Ownership Historically, the recruitment process for graduate admissions has been housed within each graduate academic department. When demand is high and/or outcomes are not financially material, this model is fine. As traditional, undergraduate enrollment counts have dropped in recent years and new revenue sources have become critical, […]

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Dr. Marylouise Fennell, Principal, Hyatt-Fennell Dr. Scott D. Miller, President, Virginia Wesleyan University For years we have shared experiential insight with college and university presidents on a wide variety of operational and philosophical issues. A common theme that has surfaced in these articles is the competitive nature of higher education, and the challenges confronting its leaders for enhanced revenue and relevance. In this issue, we make recommendations for winning in the tough arena of colleges and universities. We especially thank our colleague John Dysart of The Dysart Group for his cutting-edge analysis and implementation of traditional and non-traditional enrollment models […]

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