We’re Not Asking for a Discount, We’re Asking for Clarity

After two years of reading survey responses and digging into the numbers, I have learned something simple and essential about how families and students navigate the college planning journey: most families do not walk away from college because of the price tag itself. They walk away because they do not understand what that number means.

In the last two years, I have written four major reports: the 2024 High School Student College Planning Report, the 2024 High School Students’ Perceptions of College Financing Report, the 2025 E-Expectations Trend Report, and the 2025 Prospective Family Engagement Study. Together, they draw on responses from nearly 6,000 high school students and almost 10,000 prospective families, giving us a 360-degree view of how people navigate the college planning journey.

What these studies, and broader research (George-Jackson & Gast, 2015; Marcus, 2016; Rainey & Taylor, 2024; Uperberg, 2023; Gallup & Lumina Foundation, 2025), show us is simple but urgent: cost is not just about dollars. It is about clarity, confidence, and trust.

Let’s start with what I learned from the broader research.

What research tells us about cost, aid, and college decisions

Across the literature, several consistent themes emerge about how families perceive cost, aid, and value in college planning:

Sticker price stops the conversation

Families often see the full cost of attendance and assume it is what they will pay. Most are unaware of net price calculators, or if they are aware, they do not know how to interpret the results (George-Jackson & Gast, 2015). This lack of understanding creates a “sticker shock” effect that prevents many students from even considering certain institutions, particularly those with higher published tuition rates. Research shows this disproportionately affects first-generation and lower-income families.

My takeaway: If sticker price ends the conversation before it begins, institutions must lead with clarity about net price and affordability, not bury those numbers deep on a website.

Loan fear limits options

Families are deeply wary of borrowing, shaped by personal experiences, community narratives, and national headlines about student debt. This fear often pushes students toward the cheapest option or away from college altogether, regardless of fit or long-term return (Rainey & Taylor, 2024; Uperberg, 2023). While many students still anticipate borrowing, the emotional weight of debt creates hesitancy, stress, and in some cases, a complete halt in the college search process.

My takeaway: Colleges need to acknowledge debt anxiety directly, offering tools like loan repayment calculators, loan repayment assistance programs (LRAPs), or transparent messaging that frames borrowing as an investment, not a trap.

College value is still believed, but proof is demanded

Despite concerns, most families still believe higher education is a worthwhile investment and a pathway to upward mobility (Gallup & Lumina Foundation, 2025). However, they are increasingly asking colleges to “show the math.” They want to see career placement rates, average earnings by major, and clear evidence that a degree will lead to tangible outcomes (Marcus, 2016). Simply promising that college “pays off” is no longer enough.

My takeaway: Institutions must highlight outcomes early and often— weaving graduate stories, salary data, and career ROI into recruitment messaging, not waiting until yield season.

Aid matters, but only if it is understood

Financial aid has the potential to completely change affordability for students, but too often, the way it is communicated undermines its impact. Many students and families report being unclear on how aid works, what types of aid are available, and how to apply (Rainey & Taylor, 2024). Complex language, late timing, and lack of plain explanations mean that aid packages often add to stress instead of reducing it.

My takeaway: Aid communication must be simplified, visual, and personal. Families need plain language, early outreach, and real-world examples of how aid changes the bottom line.

What RNL research reveals about cost, clarity, and college decisions

Sticker shock is real and misleading

Families often see the full cost of attendance and assume it is what they will pay.

• 72% of families eliminated a college based on sticker price alone (RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP, 2025).
• Only 12% of students used a net price calculator (RNL, Ardeo, & Halda, 2024).
• More than half of parents still did not know their likely aid after visiting a college website (RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP, 2025).

Students say: Sticker price stops the conversation.
Families say: We are not asking for a discount; we are asking for clarity.

My takeaway: If families do not know the real price, they walk away before there is even a chance to explain. That is not a money problem; it is a communication problem.

Clarity is the new currency

Confusion about aid derails progress toward enrollment.

• 57% of students started but did not finish at least one application because “it seemed too expensive” (RNL, Ardeo, & Halda, 2024).
• 65% of prospective families say final cost (after financial aid and scholarships) is the decisive factor to choose a college, and 80% of students agree (RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP, 2025).
• 43% of families have trouble finding a financial aid or scholarship calculator, and nearly four out of ten cannot find scholarship info on college websites (RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP, 2025).

Students say: Confusion kills momentum.
Families say: If we do not understand the process, we will not finish it.

My takeaway: Clarity is not just nice, it is currency. If cost feels hidden or complicated, families spend their trust elsewhere.

Fear of loans drives the conversation

Loan fear shapes how families perceive every option.

• 71% of students said loan concerns shaped their planning negatively; 8 in 10 still plan to borrow (RNL, Ardeo, & Halda, 2025).
• 72% of students, and 51% of families (69% of first-generation), would be more likely to enroll if the college offered a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP, 2025).

Students say: Debt is emotional, not just financial.
Families say: We fear making a mistake that follows us for years.

My takeaway: Until you address loan fear head-on, families will see debt as a dealbreaker, not a doorway.

Families are involved, but often left out

Parents and caregivers play a central role, but they often lack the tools.

• 80% of students involve a parent or caregiver in college planning, but first-gen parents are less confident reviewing aid (RNL, Ardeo, & Halda, 2024).
• Email is the preferred channel for all families (90%), yet awareness of portals and tools is low, especially among low-income and first-gen families (RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP, 2025).

Students say: Families want to help but need more than a brochure.
Families say: Include us; do not just assume we know where to look.

My takeaway: Families are the co-pilots of this journey. Ignore them, and you risk losing the student, too.

Technology needs a human touch

Digital tools can open doors, but students and families still crave connection.

• 91% of students use college websites; 65% are more likely to apply after a virtual tour (RNL, Halda, & Modern Campus, 2025).
• 1 in 4 apply after engaging with an AI assistant, but many still follow up with email (RNL, Halda, & Modern Campus, 2025).
• Only 53% of families know about parent/family portals, with even lower awareness among first-gen families (RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP, 2025).

Students say: Yes, we are digital, but we are also human.
Families say: Technology helps, but we still want a person on the other side.

My takeaway: Digital opens the door, but human connection makes families walk through it.

Cost is not just about affordability; it is about perception, trust, and understanding.

Families and students are not asking for a discount; they are asking for clarity. When institutions lead with transparency, plain language, and humanity, they transform the way students and families see higher education.

This is a topic we’ll explore in our webinar, The Price Tag Problem: How Families Weigh Cost, Stress, and Value and What You Can Do About It. We will look at the latest data on how families feel about college affordability, borrowing, and the value of college.

References

• Gallup, & Lumina Foundation. (2025). The state of higher education 2025. Gallup Analytics.
• George-Jackson, C., & Gast, M. J. (2015). Addressing information gaps: Disparities in financial awareness and preparedness on the road to college. Journal of Student Financial Aid, 44(3), Article 3.
• Marcus, J. (2016, January 22). Facing growing scrutiny, colleges set out to prove their value. The Hechinger Report.
• Rainey, E. A., & Taylor, Z. W. (2024). “I had no idea”: At-risk college student knowledge of financial aid and resources. Journal of Student Financial Aid, 53(2), Article 4.
• RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP. (2025). 2025 Prospective family engagement study. Ruffalo Noel Levitz.
• RNL, Ardeo, & Halda. (2024). 2024 High school students’ perceptions of college financing. Ruffalo Noel Levitz.
• RNL, Halda, & Modern Campus. (2025). 2025 E-Expectations trend report. Ruffalo Noel Levitz.
• RNL & Halda. (2024). 2024 High school student college planning report. Ruffalo Noel Levitz. Uperberg, A. (2023). Families, relationships and paying for college. Journal of Student Financial Aid, 52(2), Article 2.