Assessing the affordability of an educational experience is difficult. Many factors contribute to the difficulty, including the difference between published tuition and the actual net prices students pay; the opaqueness of full postsecondary degree costs; lack of good data on post-credential earnings and outcomes; and the variance in each learner’s personal circumstances.
There are, however, some clear factors that make postsecondary education less affordable. This white paper outlines a set of “affordability disconnects”—clear drivers that increase time to credential and price for students. Addressing, mitigating, and eradicating these drivers would go a long way in making credentials more affordable for students who transfer and are mobile, says the report.