Kitchen Table College Chats

Colleges are almost annually increasing their tuition discounts (they call them 'scholarships')

In this week's podcast show, Marc and Gary discuss why those discounts are not necessarily a good thing for the college - and ultimately for the student.

For example, if a college doesn't have the financial resources to offer a course section in your student's major, that could delay graduation by a semester or even a year.  We also talked about the opportunity cost associated with not graduating in 4 years associated with those delays.

It happens weekly and it happens without notice.  Marc and Gary talk about the history of program cuts and what you can do to lower the risk or move on if it happens.

What does college really cost? In this episode of Kitchen Table College Chat, Gary Stocker and Marc DeBoer challenge one of the biggest misconceptions in higher education: tuition is not the same as cost. They unpack how private colleges routinely discount tuition by more than 50%, why sticker prices often have little connection to what families actually pay, and how fees, room and board, books, and other expenses can dramatically increase the true cost of a college education. The conversation also explores what parts of a college bill are negotiable, how families can approach financial aid discussions, and why colleges increasingly rely on fees to generate revenue. 

Gary and Marc also tackle the hidden costs that many families overlook, including changing majors, taking longer than four years to graduate, and the opportunity cost of delayed entry into the workforce. They discuss the growing financial pressures facing private colleges, the shift of students toward public universities and larger brand-name institutions, and the long-term implications for smaller colleges struggling to attract students. Whether you're a parent, student, grandparent, or counselor, this episode provides practical insights to help you look beyond the tuition number and make a more informed college decision. 

In this episode of Kitchen Table College Chat, Gary Stocker and Marc DeBoer take opposing viewpoints on one of the biggest questions facing education today: Should high school students embrace artificial intelligence? Framing the discussion as a debate between an AI skeptic and an AI advocate, they explore whether AI is primarily a learning tool or a shortcut that discourages critical thinking. Gary argues that students need to develop their own reasoning skills before relying on technology, warning that overdependence on AI could weaken creativity, individuality, and the ability to solve problems independently. Marc counters that AI is as transformative and inevitable as the calculator or the internet, arguing that students who learn to use it effectively will gain a significant advantage in college and future careers. 

The conversation expands to examine how AI may reshape college admissions, essay writing, workforce preparation, and the future role of higher education itself. The hosts discuss whether colleges should disclose their use of AI in admissions decisions, how students can use AI ethically for brainstorming and studying, and whether schools have a responsibility to teach responsible AI use rather than resist it. While both agree that AI is here to stay, they differ sharply on its long-term impact: Marc believes students who master AI will thrive in an increasingly automated world, while Gary worries that relying on prompts instead of human judgment and experience could erode the critical thinking skills that education is meant to develop. The episode leaves listeners with a central question: in an AI-driven future, how do we balance efficiency with authentic learning?

This episode of Kitchen Table College Chat focuses on a central question for families: What actually makes a “good” college decision? Gary Stocker and Marc DeBoer challenge the traditional ways families evaluate colleges and argue that most students and parents focus on the wrong factors during the college search process.

The episode begins with listener questions about college pricing, admissions yield, and college closures. Gary explains that many private colleges heavily discount tuition — citing a recent report showing an average first-year discount rate of 57% at private colleges — meaning families often pay far less than the published “sticker price.” The hosts encourage parents to understand the difference between list price and actual tuition fees charged.

They explain the concept of admissions yield, which measures how many accepted students actually enroll. Gary argues that admissions yield reflects market confidence in a college: schools with stronger reputations and student outcomes tend to attract more students who accept their offers.

Another major discussion centers on the risk of college closures. Gary emphasizes that no one can predict with certainty whether a college will close, but families should examine financial data, enrollment trends, endowment strength, and graduation rates to assess institutional stability. He frames this as part of the mission of College Viability — helping families “inspect” colleges the same way consumers inspect homes or cars before making major purchases.

The core theme of the episode is redefining what “good” means in a college decision. Marc explains that most families focus on prestige, rankings, acceptance letters, and reputation when choosing a college, but after graduation they judge success very differently — based on debt levels, graduation timelines, happiness, and employment outcomes. He argues that families should reverse their priorities and focus on outcomes first, not marketing or rankings.

Gary reinforces this argument by emphasizing objective data points families should track, including:

• Four-year graduation rates
• First-year retention rates
• Enrollment trends
• Endowment strength
• Endowment per student

He argues that colleges with weak graduation or retention rates are signaling operational or financial problems that families should not ignore.

The hosts also criticize college rankings systems, describing many of them as “beauty pageants” driven more by perception and marketing than meaningful student outcomes. Gary argues that rankings providers are financially connected to colleges and rarely offer truly critical evaluations of institutional risk or student success.

Toward the end of the episode, the conversation broadens to the future of higher education. Gary argues that many smaller, financially challenged colleges are struggling in a declining market and cannot compete with major university brands for students. Marc adds that headline enrollment growth statistics may hide deeper challenges, especially among smaller undergraduate institutions facing demographic declines.

Overall, the episode encourages families to move beyond prestige and marketing and instead evaluate colleges through the lens of outcomes, financial stability, and long-term student success.

Marc and Gary go back and forth on how is responsible for a student's success in college.

Gary notes that too many colleges don't even graduate 50% of their students in 4 years.  Marc shares that too many parents assign responsibility to colleges for their student's success.

Share your thoughts to me at [email protected]

Marc and Gary discuss some easy-to-find key indicators of financially strong college and financially weak colleges.

Available in the new College Viability Inspection Report, these are the top 3 they discussed.
1. Enrollment trends
2. Endowment value (effectively a college's savings account)
3. 4-year graduation rates

Here is the link to the College Viability Inspection Report.

Here is an example of what a report looks like.  (By the way, the financial report part is FREE.)

Will a pothole or dingy dorms at your child's college campus be the final straw?

This week Marc and Gary look at retention (staying at a college) from perspective not normally shared in the higher education news media.

We sit around our virtual table and provide that perspective that students and parents need to make the best possible college decision.

Join us as we sit at your kitchen table for our College Chat.

In this podcast episode of Kitchen Table College Chats, Marc Deboer and Gary Stocker continue their virtual kitchen table chats for colleges students and their families.

Most students fall in love with a college campus.  In this episode, we ask parents and students alike to make sure that colleges they love during the tour can deliver the college education needed.

From Emotion to Evaluation

Before you fall in love with a college campus, run a simple mental shift:

Instead of asking:
 Do I love this campus?

Ask:
Will this college still get me to graduation day?
Will this college keep my major or eliminate it?
Does this college have the resources to keep the buildings and grounds safe?

That means looking at:

•  Enrollment trends (growing or shrinking?) 
•  Graduation rates (who actually finishes? Most colleges take longer than 4 years to graduate students.) 
•  Financial health (stable or stressed?) 
•  Program strength (expanding or being cut?) 

This is the difference between choosing a place… and choosing a future.

If you listen to enough college admissions advice, you might start to believe a few things:

That everyone should go to college.

Going to college guarantees you a good job.

 That students must discover their life passion at age 17.

 Or that the best strategy is simply applying to as many schools as possible and hoping for the best.

The problem?

 A lot of that advice is based more on tradition and urban myth than reality.

In this episode, Marc and Gary break down the admissions myths that quietly hurt families—and replace them with a more practical way to think about choosing a college.

Because when it comes to admissions, good information can save a lot of money and stress.