Education on Sale?

There was a very interesting article in the Wall Street Journal this week about the cost of higher education. Colleges and Universities, especially public institutions, are hurting right now. Not only is funding shrinking, but there’s real concern that if they don’t have students on campus this fall, despite the risks, student count is going to drop substantially. After all, who is going to pay all that money to watch a lecture online from home?

According to the WSJ article, parents and students are treating tuition costs as subject to negotiation – and winning. One college even offered a 41% discount!

Here is where I lay out my great negotiating tactic: ask. When you’re in a situation like this where the worst thing they can do is say “no”, what do you have to lose? I can’t imagine any school going to the extreme of “How dare you ask for a discount. You’re no longer welcome here.”

Colleges and Universities are desperate to keep enrollment numbers up, or at least not have them drop that far, this fall. Here in Michigan, there has been a large concern over the drop in student enrollment over the last decade. In the current environment, those fears certainly haven’t lessened.

If you have college costs coming up in the fall, ask for a discount. You might be surprised by the response.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash