Research & Policy

Hidden Costs, Obvious Consequences

Enrollment Deposits & Access to Graduate Education

A study of enrollment deposits at Massachusetts colleges and universities, drawing on National Center for Education Statistics data, a review of institutional websites, and direct outreach to admissions offices. It finds that far more programs require a deposit than disclose one — the gap widest in graduate and professional programs — and that deposits average $209 at public institutions and over $578 at private ones, at a time when more than one in three Americans could not cover a $400 emergency expense.

Josh Farris, Policy & Research Specialist · Fall 2026 · 37 pages