Net Assets Enrollment & Financial Aid Articles

Enrollment & Financial Aid

CEO Notebook  

  • Change Management
  • | Communication
  • | Leadership

The Surprising Strengths of a Vulnerable Leader

It may seem counterintuitive, but vulnerability can be a great strength for independent school business leaders.
4 min read
Three bright arrows pointing down a dark blue background.

Voices from the Field  

  • Key Enrollment
  • | Leadership
  • | Tuition

Data, Design and the Future of Enrollment

The merger of EMA and ERB will provide school business leaders with more data and a more integrated experience.
7 min read
Two wooden blocks on a diagonal orange and blue background; one block has a green plus sign, the other has a red minus sign.

Business Intelligence  

  • Cash Management
  • | Research
  • | Tuition

Is Your School’s Working Capital Working? This item is protected.

In 2023–24, most independent schools had a positive working capital ratio.
3 min read
playbook concept (1)

Feature  

  • Enrollment
  • | Financial Aid

The Outcomes Mandate: Enrollment Lessons from Higher Ed

As universities grapple with a crisis of value, a new playbook is emerging. For independent school leaders, the lessons are urgent: define your outcomes, or the market will define you
15 min read
CIA bees

Feature  

  • Communication
  • | Enrollment
  • | Financial Aid

The Deal(ing) is Done: Handling Financial Aid Requests This item is protected.

An increasing number of high-income families are seeking financial aid awards, requiring ever clearer communication and processes.
12 min read
stock photo of colorful price tags
  • Financial Aid
  • | Marketing
  • | Tuition

What Kinds of Independent Schools Are Using Indexed Tuition? This item is protected.

Schools employing indexed tuition receive less net tuition, have lower expenses and distribute more financial aid.
3 min read
Red ship on blue water view half under water half above
  • Change Management
  • | Enrollment
  • | Planning

Strategic Rightsizing to Strengthen School Operations This item is protected.

Strategic planning led to fewer enrolled students and higher NTR in the case of one boarding-day school.
3 min read
Art collage displaying a human hand and graduation cap with dollar sign against a beige background.

Business Intelligence  

  • Endowment
  • | Financial Aid
  • | Tuition

Variations in Tuition Discounting by Endowment Level This item is protected.

In 2023–24, schools without an endowment had a similar tuition discount rate as schools with large endowments.
5 min read
two household families

Risk & Compliance  

  • Enrollment
  • | Financial Aid
  • | Risk Management

Navigating Two-Household Families This item is protected.

Strong policies are critical when parents have different ideas about applications, financial aid and enrollment contracts.
6 min read
teacher salary graphic

Business Intelligence  

  • Employment
  • | Enrollment
  • | Tuition

How Many Tuition Payments Cover an Employee’s Salary? This item is protected.

In FY 2023, after tuition discounts, a median of 3.8 students’ net tuitions paid for one school employee.
7 min read
Tower Hill School campus

Feature  

  • Financial Aid
  • | Research
  • | Tuition

Remission Accomplished? This item is protected.

Tuition remission is on the rise. What does that mean for schools’ sustainability and culture?
14 min read
Friends Select School table

Feature  

  • Budget
  • | Enrollment
  • | Tuition

Public Funding, Private Choices: School Choice Funding This item is protected.

More states than ever are offering school choice funding, but are the strings attached worth it?
11 min read
dollar in god we trust

Business Intelligence  

  • Budget
  • | Salary
  • | Tuition

Faith and School Finances This item is protected.

Independent schools with a religious affiliation are more reliant on annual giving than all other types of independent schools.
4 min read
Heather Hoerle (center) accepting the  2022 Sarah Daignault Outstanding  Support for Independent Schools  Award with Shields and Rose Neubert,  the 2021–23 NBOA Board Chair.

Projections  

  • Boards and Trustees
  • | Enrollment
  • | Leadership

A Fond Farewell

A conversation with Heather Hoerle as she reflects on a career serving independent schools, from NAIS to EMA.
6 min read

Strategies  

  • Culture
  • | Diversity and Inclusion
  • | Financial Aid

Clarifying Financial Aid for Multilingual Families This item is protected.

Making the process clearer to parents whose dominant language is not English can result in significant community enrichment.
4 min read
Hand holds danger warning sign with exclamation mark on red background.

Risk & Compliance  

  • Debt
  • | Enrollment
  • | Planning

10 Warning Signs of Financial Distress at Your School

Board members and top administrators should know these rules of thumb before problems become too dire to correct.
6 min read
multiple doors against one blue wall. One door is red.

Business Intelligence  

  • Enrollment
  • | Financial Aid
  • | Policy

Tuition Discounting in School Choice States This item is protected.

The tuition discount rate was higher among schools in school-choice states compared to schools not in school choice states.
4 min read
christie holman (1)
  • Enrollment
  • | Leadership
  • | Membership

Unsung Hero: Christie Holman, The Walker School

Christie Holman has driven The Walker School’s recovery and growth through creative problem-solving and expert budgeting.
2 min read
NBOA Tuition Discounting publication cover against blank background

CEO Notebook  

  • Financial Aid
  • | Research
  • | Tuition

Tuition Discounting Data Is Here

NBOA’s latest Tuition Discounting Report offers robust analysis of the pandemic years and practical takeaways for school leadership.
4 min read
Multiple dotted trails looping across a yellow background.
  • Admission
  • | Enrollment
  • | Financial Aid

Uncovering Hidden Trails in Financial Aid Documentation This item is protected.

Learning how to read tax forms in the financial aid application process is like finding a map through sometimes dense documentation.
4 min read