Despite the annual sticker price shock, many students and their families are receiving tuition discounts at private colleges.
Under tuition discounting, a school offsets its published tuition price with grant aid from the institution to entice students to enroll at their college. It’s a practice that began more than three decades ago – and one that is more commonplace at many private schools, college financial aid administrators say.
But the gap between the published tuition prices and the amount students pay is widening for many private institutions – especially at smaller colleges, experts say.
Related: Financial Aid Leveraging.