Paying the Price: Preparing Students Beyond Tuition

What does college really cost — and what can educators do about it? In this webinar, sociologist and Paying the Price author Sara Goldrick-Rab breaks down the new economics of college and what they mean for your students. Tuition is just the beginning. Housing, food, transportation, childcare, and lost wages add up fast — and most students and families never see it coming. The result? Millions of students who start college never finish, not because they lack ability or ambition, but because they can’t afford to stay. You’ll learn: The new economics of college — how rising costs, stagnant wages, and shrinking public investment have fundamentally changed who can afford to go and who can afford to stay The real price of college — why the sticker price and even the “net price” dramatically underestimate what students actually pay Affording college beyond the FAFSA — practical, actionable strategies educators can share with students to identify funding, benefits, and resources they didn’t know existed Making work work — how to help students navigate employment during college without derailing their education Why the fight isn’t over — why policy change is essential, and how educators can be part of the movement to make college genuinely affordable for all students Whether you teach economics, personal finance, or any subject where your students are headed to college, this webinar will give you tools, language, and confidence to have honest, productive conversations about money — and to help your students make informed decisions about their futures.