Higher education institutions have been under scrutiny in the public eye and are challenged to find and implement efficient business practices. According to Cathy Sandeen of the University of Wisconsin Colleges and Extension, institutions need to help staff and faculty focus on high-value tasks to make a difference for students. This shifted perspective will create cost savings, engender financial sustainability, expand enrollment, and enhance capital.
The change in cost of education has increased by 33% between 2004 and 2014 at public institutions, which far outpaces the rise of inflation at only 2.28% during that same period. The average student from the class of 2016 owes $37,172 in student loans and our nation's 44 million student loan borrowers have accumulated $1.3 trillion dollars in debt. In addition to a declining population in the US and availability and affordability of online courses, competition between universities for enrollment is at an all time high. Admission selections and financial aid allocation decisions receive the largest amount of scrutiny as a result.
At SightLine, we help Universities find the right individual students to attend their universities and support them to complete their degrees. We deliver insights and information from existing university data that faculty and staff need in order to focus on their students.
Universities possess the necessary data, and departmental directors have experience but lack the clear, precise answers and strategies to run their institutions in the best ways possible. SightLine analyzes university data to help answer the following questions and determine the most efficient way to implement new tactics to reach University objectives:
- Which student applicants are most likely to enroll and also succeed at our University?
- How much funding should we allocate to individual scholarships to optimize enrollment and maintain or increase University revenue?
- How do changes in funding allocations affect enrollment and retention rates?
- What are the top factors affecting students’ enrollment decisions?
- Which qualities do students have that make them successful at our University and how do we use this information for marketing and recruitment efforts?
- How can we use enrollment and student success forecasts to drive our admissions decisions and standards?
Let SightLine do the heavy lifting of determining the probability that an individual student will enroll at your University along with the probability that they will be retained from their first to second year. SightLine provides the tools for faculty and staff to support their students, all the way from recruitment through graduation.
Let’s find those top 5 reasons students enroll at your University and how they are successful!