Key Takeaways
- Elasticity of demand: Cost of attendance alone, whether gross sticker price or net of rising financial aid, does not determine an institution’s overall enrollment trends.
- Scissors out: In the face of enrollment pressures and diminishing net tuition revenue, private colleges and universities most broadly respond by cutting instruction costs while struggling to enlarge other sources of revenue.
- Limitations of liquidity: On a smaller scale, elevated endowment draws continue across the sector, though there is generally a limit to the available funds each institution can burn as they try to right the ship.
15-Sep-2026