Abstract
This study analyzed tuition reductions in the private not-for-profit sector of higher education, utilizing a quantitative descriptive and correlational approach with secondary data analysis. It resulted in a listing of 45 institutions with verified tuition reductions from 2007 to 2017, more than previously thought. It found that the characteristics of these institutions tended to correlate with the rest of the sector, with the exception that tuition reducers tended to serve higher proportions of students with high financial need, to have smaller endowments, and were more likely to be religiously affiliated. The study found that the operational outcomes of tuition reducing institutions in the year of the tuition reduction tended to be positive for students (improving retention, lowering average annual student loans, and lowering net price). The results for institutions varied with approximately half increasing new student enrollment and net tuition revenue in the year of the change. It was found that religiously affiliated tuition reducing institutions had higher retention rates than non-religiously affiliated. Additionally, institutions with stronger financial health prior to the reduction were more likely to increase net tuition revenue following the pricing change, then their tuition reducing counterparts with lower financial health. The study is significant because it provides higher education leaders and policy makers with a greater understanding of tuition reductions over the last decade. It also provides a decision framework for higher education leaders considering if a tuition reduction strategy is appropriate for their institution, and a plan for continuing to disseminate research about tuition reductions to help fill the void that existed about this topic prior to the study.| Keywords: access to education, affordability of education, college administration, financial aid, higher education, higher education finance, higher education policy, pricing policy, student debt, tuition, tuition reduction, tuition reset, tuition setting, tuition trends, university administration