Can I Afford It?!

from Admissions Beat · host Justin Draeger, Dino Koff

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 metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Oct 28, 2025

Embed this episode

Attribution link and audio player

Ready to play

Can I Afford It?!

0:00 48:01

1×

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

No similar episodes found.

Similar Podcasts

The Brendan Ecker Influence Brendan Scott Ecker The Brendan Ecker Influence is hosted by Brendan Scott Ecker — a 27-year-old American entrepreneur, Michigan real estate agent, CEO of Gold Shark Media Ai, founder of PassRE USA, investor, law enforcement officer, former NCAA two-sport athlete, and author of Beyond the Beat and How I Made My Dorm My Office.Ecker went from a middle-class “Matrix” upbringing to building a fast-growing digital brand, scaling multiple businesses, and growing a YouTube channel with over 27,000 subscribers. With a background in Criminology, law enforcement, and competitive athletics, he blends discipline, strategy, and mindset into everything he teaches.On this podcast, Brendan breaks down the real frameworks behind wealth, business, real estate, marketing, AI, geopolitics, mindset, and personal growth. He discusses the journey in growing his businesses, documenting the wins, failures, and the tactical steps that helped him escape College With Mattie Mattie Culkin Every week, Mattie Culkin and his co-host Michelle Martinez talk about everything you need to know about college admissions. How do top schools operate? What are they looking for? Tune in as they break down essential application aspects such as essay writing, extracurriculars, and letters of recommendation into their core elements. For students applying to college and their parents, College With Mattie is here to steer you to your goals. Hawks Report The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Atlanta Journal-Constitution beat reporter Lauren Williams brings you inside access and analysis on the Hawks. She will be joined by current players, former players, and experts from around the NBA. UnCommon Law Bloomberg Industry Group On UnCommon Law, legal issues, public policy, and storytelling collide. We'll explore the most important legal stories of the day: Will lawmakers be able to rein in artificial intelligence before it's too late? Can the government ever consider race in college admissions? How much power do federal agencies have to make the rules that shape our lives? Can you sue a haunted house for being too scary? Produced and hosted by Matthew S. Schwartz.Winner of the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award for Media and the Arts

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Admissions Beat?

This episode is 48 minutes long.

When was this Admissions Beat episode published?

This episode was published on October 28, 2025.

Can I download this Admissions Beat episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.

URL copied to clipboard!