The decision to attend college is one that prompts many questions—where to enroll, what to study, and—top-of-mind for many families—how much it will cost. In a new marketing campaign launching this month, the University of Redlands is translating complex financial aid policy into clear tuition guarantees for prospective first-year students.
“So often we hear families say they could never afford a private university education,” said Vice President for Finance Kevin Dyerly ’00 in a recent interview with Redlands Community News. “So, our [Redlands Promise] aspires to make students and families aware of the fact that a U of R education is more affordable and attainable than they think.”
The Redlands Promise offers the following commitments to qualifying high school seniors admitted to the U of R:
- A California student with a GPA of 3.5 or higher and family income of $110,000 or less will have their full first-year tuition covered with grants and scholarships
- An Oregon or Washington student with a family income of $60,000 or less will have their full first-year tuition covered with grants and scholarships
- Regardless of family income or state of residence, an entering first-year student with a GPA of 3.5 or higher will pay no more than $22,000 in 2022
- Students are guaranteed the ability to graduate in four years or less
- Opportunities include the cost-saving 4+1 pathway to earn a bachelor’s degree and master’s in business in only five years
The campaign grew out of a desire to emphasize the University’s outstanding value—an exceptional, personalized education at an affordable cost—while raising awareness about the University of Redlands.
Director of Creative Services Jennifer Alvarado, who is overseeing the placement of the ads and their branded design, noted tactics span both traditional and digital mediums. “We’re looking forward to getting our message out there with billboards, airports, radio, print, and digital platforms and letting people know a University of Redlands education is within their reach.”
The campaign takes on renewed relevance amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent University data demonstrates that the capacity of admitted students’ families to pay for tuition has been stagnant for the past several years, until recently declining with the pandemic’s economic impact.
Associate Vice President of Admissions Belinda Sandoval Zazueta notes, “With this campaign, we’re hoping to build awareness and change perceptions around affordability by having conversations sooner with students and their families.”
Dyerly adds the campaign articulates the real value of a Redlands education, given the University’s affordability coupled with student opportunities, such as study away, and student outcomes, such as high employment rates post-graduation, a high alumni satisfaction rate, and honors such as Fulbright Awards.
Learn more about the Redlands Promise or apply to the University of Redlands today.
