Can I Afford It?!
Sticker shock is real. Perceptions of college affordability represent one of the biggest concerns that most families navigate as a college search unfolds, with a 2024 survey of US voters revealing that 77% of Americans see college as “unaffordable.” This week, the pod tackles that (mis)perception as Admissions Beat becomes “Financial Aid Beat.” Justin Draeger, SVP for Affordability at Strada Education Foundation in Washington D.C., and one of the nation’s leading advocates for college affordability, joins Lee Coffin and Dino Koff from Dartmouth for a primer on the ins and outs of financial aid. The trio reassures families that higher ed really can be affordable as they offer tips on completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and colleges' net price calculators, and they help translate some of the “jargony language” that muddies the financial aid conversation and causes unintended confusion.
Episode 8 of the Admissions Beat podcast, hosted by Justin Draeger, Dino Koff, titled "Can I Afford It?!" was published on October 28, 2025 and runs 48 minutes.
October 28, 2025 ·48m · Admissions Beat
Summary
Sticker shock is real. Perceptions of college affordability represent one of the biggest concerns that most families navigate as a college search unfolds, with a 2024 survey of US voters revealing that 77% of Americans see college as “unaffordable.” This week, the pod tackles that (mis)perception as Admissions Beat becomes “Financial Aid Beat.” Justin Draeger, SVP for Affordability at Strada Education Foundation in Washington D.C., and one of the nation’s leading advocates for college affordability, joins Lee Coffin and Dino Koff from Dartmouth for a primer on the ins and outs of financial aid. The trio reassures families that higher ed really can be affordable as they offer tips on completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and colleges' net price calculators, and they help translate some of the “jargony language” that muddies the financial aid conversation and causes unintended confusion.
Episode Description
Sticker shock is real. Perceptions of college affordability represent one of the biggest concerns that most families navigate as a college search unfolds, with a 2024 survey of US voters revealing that 77% of Americans see college as “unaffordable.” This week, the pod tackles that (mis)perception as Admissions Beat becomes “Financial Aid Beat.” Justin Draeger, SVP for Affordability at Strada Education Foundation in Washington D.C., and one of the nation’s leading advocates for college affordability, joins Lee Coffin and Dino Koff from Dartmouth for a primer on the ins and outs of financial aid. The trio reassures families that higher ed really can be affordable as they offer tips on completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and colleges' net price calculators, and they help translate some of the “jargony language” that muddies the financial aid conversation and causes unintended confusion.
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