Research Paper on How Colleges and Universities Sell Higher Education

Many colleges and universities have come up with strategies of marketing themselves to prospective students by touting amenities and perks that range from tablets and laptops to over the top gourmet and dining plans and recreational opportunities. These various incentives are piled on top of tuition breaks that are geared towards incoming freshmen and their families as a form of ultimate enticement to higher education. In reality, these incentives are responses to consumer demand since the prospective students are increasingly demanding such opportunities and services.

In the provision of higher education, most school officials insist that their first and foremost responsibility is to ensure that they promote their academic profile in the bid to attract higher education learners. The enticements that are offered in addition to the high-tech extras that are offered by institutions of higher learning are offered in the bid to enhance the experience of the students in colleges and universities and these are geared towards increasing their happiness while in school. According to Altbach and Jane (300), the awe-inspiring amenities that are provided in some colleges and universities may assist some of the schools to attract international students who in most instances pay the full-posted price for their higher education. This is because most of the international students are not eligible for federal aid programs such as Perkins and Stafford loans or scholarships that are provided for by the state governments. It is also imperative to comprehend that some universities and colleges offer need-based help to students who are not citizens of the United States but this normally occurs on a very limited basis. In the bid to sign international students, many college and university recruiters meet with the prospective students at university and college fairs all over the world. The universities that are successful in recruiting international students to note that it is the boots on the ground that has enabled them to target a wide range of international students(Monitor, The).

The other strategy that universities and colleges use while selling their higher education is the promise of research dollars. Many colleges and universities such as the Florida Institute of Technology pride themselves on the millions of dollars that the win in regard to research grants that are normally corporate or federal. In most instances, these research dollars are used to conduct medical and technological research. Students who are willing to pursue a career in the medical profession or in the technological aspect of their career will feel attracted to some universities due to the grants that they will get once they enroll in that particular school or college. The benefit of having large amounts of funding that is set aside for research is used to purchase very expensive equipment that is available for the students that enroll. In fact, the colleges and universities have the best lab equipment and amenities that often than not have extensive graduate research projects.

All over the world, colleges and universities are loaded with shiny new buildings. In most instances, the new buildings are necessary for example dorms and classrooms. Universities and colleges love to show off their new buildings in press releases, in the prospectus and on their websites, during on tour campus tours, colleges and universities will ensure that one walks past every new shiny building that has been erected recently ("How Universities Are Using Bold Campus Architecture To Market Themselves - FT.Com"). When universities and colleges create plans to enroll more students, the initial strategy that they implement is to sink some money to a prominently placed building. This is because the administration of such colleges and universities have the belief that the higher education students will be attracted to the new shiny buildings ("Universities Sell Themselves To Lawmakers"). One, however, has to note that the manner in which these new buildings are paid for is a secret. Large universities and colleges normally have large endowments that come in the form of alumni contributions but the vast majority of colleges and universities raise such funds by selling bonds (Christensen et al., 56). However, these bonds are rated the same way corporate bonds are rated. In the bid to keep good ratings on their bonds, most colleges and universities keep their revenue high by ensuring that they keep their expenses low and increase enrollment. This means that a few shiny buildings may translate to a concerted effort by the administrations of the colleges and universities to employ less expensive teachers who are mostly graduate students and adjuncts students.

In the bid to increase credibility and prestige to a university or college, many administrations often invite special speakers. Although most colleges and universities have to pay enormous fees to such speakers. It is however imperative to comprehend that the presence of such speakers or famous individuals in colleges does not bring nothing more than publicity stunts rather than an increase in educational value. In fact, having a speaker on campus is no more effective than watching the same speaker on television shows. Students tend to get attracted to the famous people who may believe that they are learning from the same schools that have been endorsed by some of their role models.

Works cited

Monitor, The. "How Colleges Market Themselves To Students." The Christian Science Monitor, 2017, https://www.csmonitor.com/1986/0602/dmark-f.html.

"How Universities Are Using Bold Campus Architecture To Market Themselves - FT.Com." Financial Times, 2017, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/a0b4cb1c-283c-11e4-9ea9-00144feabdc0.html?ft_site=falcon&desktop=true#axzz4nWhBmDtz.

"Universities Sell Themselves To Lawmakers." Msnewsnow.Com, 2017, http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/17037840/universities-sell-themselves-to-lawmakers.

Altbach, Philip G., and Jane Knight. "The internationalization of higher education: Motivations and realities." Journal of studies in international education 11.3-4 (2007): 290-305.

Christensen, Clayton M., and Henry J. Eyring. The innovative university: Changing the DNA of higher education from the inside out. John Wiley & Sons, 2011.