1st Inform to the students all the State and Federal help available for Tuition.
Inform the student about the Grant available.
Find out about the student Eligibility and inform the school policies about tuition.
Try to find money available through Program and find out if the prospective student is eligible for certain program.
Find out what the student can afford or cannot.Help the student by finding somehow to find A Program or a Donor that can invest to pay the student education
Thank you for sharing your approach Farida. It sounds like you are building value throughout the interview so discussing cost is straightforward. Keep up the great work!
Dr. Jean Norris
I seek agreement throughout the interview, and when I get to cost. I simply go over the cost, and what is covered and just ask, how will you be paying for school, from that point on we will discuss options available
I like your approach. By asking a question after offering the information you give the student the opportunity to consider all of their options. Many representatives immediately go into a financial aid discussion whereas asking a question like this allows the rep to understand what the student is thinking and then customize their response appropriately. Thanks Tiffany!
Dr. Jean Norris
I give the student the cost of the program and ask "when you thought about going to school, how did you plan on covering this investment?" this opens the door of exploring the possible options they had already came up with.
Ken,
Very nice reframing. Isn't it interesting how perceptions of "expensive" are actually based on value? Thanks for sharing!
Dr. Jean Norris
I talk with my potential student about investing in their future when addressing the cost challenges; and if they have a Family, their Families future as well. I ask them what do they think they are worth in monetary terms. They come up with a figure, and then I tell them that they are priceless! I tell them that it's ok to invest in themselves, especially when it come to education and learning new skills, because when they complete their education it is something that can never be physically taken away from them; ever! After they comtemplate it that way, and they really want to come to my school to learn the skill set training that we offer, that usually addresses the cost challenge.
Great Jeff! Let us know how it works out for you.
I like the idea of clarifying a baseline too. This is something I think i would like to add to my tool box.
Usually we talk about cost after we assess their needs and give them information about the school and the program. We try to build value first, but occasionally we get students who ask about cost right off the bat. I usually just tell them what they want to know and take it from there. I am trying to be better about checking in after we talk about cost, to see what the obstacles are.
Hi Claudia,
I am curious to know how well this method works for you. When I worked at another college, we tried this approach and I found that prospective students felt uncomfortable with this or that it was too personal (even when a good report and stong sense of trust had been built). What do you think?
Hi Maricelly, I think that is a great way to explain things if they are having a hard time justifying the cost of education. This is a very powerful approach, I think, and I like to even compare it to purchase of a new car. A new car eventually breaks down, needs replaced, and will depreciate in value, but an education is an investment in one’s self and never depreciates. It something that no one can ever take away from a person. I agree with you that this can a great way to help a student overcome the challenge of cost.
I usually ask the student what his or her plans are for financing his or her education. Then, I give the cost of tuition (including books and fees) and then move right into financial aid options. I usually start with covering information about grants, then loans, and then scholarships. One thing that I feel I need to do differently is to stop and ask the questions about how the student feels about cost and if it is what they expected so I can better gage how they feel about things first. I also plan on changing up the order I cover thing: loans, then grants and scholarships.
It has been easy in the past to almost ignore the students concern of cost, and just move on. But, this will only cause the student to feel that you are not concerned. Its best to address the concern by giving the student the cost and then affirming that they are comfortable to move on.
I address cost right away. I also give the student guidance and resources that might help them pay for college.
Ed, this is a great technique. Let me know how it works for you.
Dr. Jean Norris
Scott, that's an interesting way to look at tuition. So what do you do when someone asks what the tuition is?
Dr. Jean Norris
I need to do this, too. A lot of times, students do feel like they're getting free money and that classes will be covered strictly with grant money. This will help with that myth about financial aid.
Laura,
I tend to jump to that same conclusion, and immediately start throwing information about grants and scholarships at them. Now I know that there are alternatives to this!
