College cost and financial aid are top-of-mind issues for students and their families, yet most aid award letters—the first communication families receive from you on the topic—are difficult to understand and often missing critical information. Your award letter must be transparent and accessible as well as clearly communicate the true cost of attending your institution. Additionally, the letter serves as a valuable recruiting touchpoint through which you can emphasize the kind of care and attention to detail that students can expect from your institution. In other words, it helps demonstrate your value proposition.
This toolkit identifies three key areas for improvement and provides resources to rethink the way you share financial aid award information with students. At the end is a checklist you can use to make sure your new award letters fully incorporate these recommended best practices.
Download the full toolkit or explore each section below.
This resource is part of the Get the Most from Allocating and Communicating Financial Aid Roadmap. Access the Roadmap for stepwise guidance with additional tools and research.
The typical aid letter has too many numbers and no clear roadmap, confusing families about the aid offered and the contributions expected. See how aid letters typically go wrong and read four guidelines to creating a more cost-transparent aid letter.
Financial aid language is complex and nuanced, often making…