Notes from the field

Loss aversion — the Nobel Prize-winning insight that losses hurt twice as much as equivalent gains feel good — is reshaping how families read your financial aid package. Here's why that matters, and what you can do about it.

Financial aid should open doors, not close them. But for many first-generation families, aid letters, portals, and payment plans read like a foreign language. This post unpacks why the money conversation is so confusing, how that confusion erodes trust, and what colleges can do to make financial aid communication clear, consistent, and genuinely first-gen friendly.

Financial aid emails should bring clarity, not confusion. Here’s where one missed the mark—and how colleges can do better.

Financial aid shouldn’t be a mystery. Here’s how colleges can design award letters like LEGO instructions—clear, visual and easy to follow.