As a leader for your educational institution, you’ve likely been considering the approaching enrollment cliff for some time. Your institution can take steps now to attract students from the shrinking pool of prospective applicants. Here are some key strategies for shoring up your enrollment numbers.
Strategies for Minimizing the Effects of the Enrollment Cliff
Offer Competitive Tuition
In a 2023 poll, high school students identified cost as one of the most important factors in choosing a college. This is hardly surprising, but it bears mentioning that keeping tuition and fees as affordable as possible is crucial for your institution. If permissible in your state, extend in-state tuition rates to out-of-state students. Competitive tuition rates increase the likelihood of prospective students considering your institution.
Distinguish Your Programs
If you offer a program that’s virtually identical to a competitor’s in terms of curriculum and cost, it can be challenging to tip the application scales in your favor. Look at what competitors are doing and see how you can differentiate your programs. You may also want to offer program add-ons that provide additional value, such as optional stackable certificates, microcredentials, digital badges, or paths to professional certification.
Provide Targeted Scholarships
Designate scholarship funds for students fitting your target demographics or those looking to serve in crucial fields such as education or nursing. Based on the importance of cost in college choice, scholarships of any amount can make your institution more enticing to prospects.
Increase Your Visibility
Some colleges are known worldwide, but not all have an extensive public history or high visibility, regardless of the high-quality education they provide. Make sure the public knows your institution’s name and reputation, what programs you offer, and what advantages those programs might have over another university’s offerings. Elevate your profile with everything from press releases and coverage touting your institution’s distinctions and noteworthy alumni to advertising and referral programs.
Create a Smoother Path to Admission
Many students interested in transferring from a community or junior college to a four-year institution find the transition challenging—a potential roadblock to applications. Articulation agreements will enable those students to make an easier transition to your institution.
Offer Your Programs Online
Make your institution an attractive option not just for students in your state but also from across the country and the world. Many students find relocating for college challenging due to financial and logistical constraints. Online programs bring your institution to them and can provide tremendous flexibility and cost savings throughout their educational experience.
Look to a Partner for Assistance
Apollidon Learning is here to assist in mitigating the impact of the enrollment cliff on your institution. As experienced online program management specialists, we offer:
– Marketing and student outreach and engagement services.
– Research to keep you ahead of career trends, show you what competitors are doing, and reveal how your programs are performing.
– Tailored consulting services designed to boost your visibility and enrollments.