NACAC 2026: 6 Takeaways on Affordability, AI, and the New Enrollment Cliff
By Reetu Gupta on
October 2026 · Reetu Gupta
Two weeks ago, our team was in Minneapolis for NACAC 2026, and one question ran through almost every conversation: is college still worth it, and how do we show students and families that it is?
The main stage gave a clear answer. At the Future of Work panel, talent leaders from Medtronic, General Mills, and CHS argued that college matters more in an AI world, not less. As AI takes on routine tasks, employers are hiring for human skills: judgment, teamwork, curiosity, and the ability to handle problems with no single right answer. One panelist put it simply: “Go to college to learn how to learn.” They also said students need more real-world practice with ambiguity and failure before they reach the workforce.
That thread ran through the sessions and through our conversations at Booth 1520 with high school counselors, admission teams, and independent consultants. After nearly a decade at NACAC, here are our six takeaways for K-12 counselors and higher ed leaders, with practical next steps for each.
Higher Ed Trends: Navigating Enrollment and Engagement
On the higher ed side, the questions ranged from the broad, is college still worth it and how do you prove it, to the acute: a federal policy change that touches every campus. Here is what stood out.
NACAC 2026: 6 Takeaways on Affordability, AI, and the New Enrollment Cliff
1. Proving College Is Worth It: Value and Affordability
Families are more skeptical of college’s cost and return than ever, and NACAC 2026 met that head-on. Sessions covered cost transparency, hidden tuition, building college lists families can actually afford, and redefining value in an affordability-focused market. The answer from employers on the main stage was yes, college is worth it. The challenge for counselors and colleges is making that value visible and the price understandable.
Scholarships remain one of the most powerful levers. In the closing session, a first-generation University of Minnesota student shared how a counselor connected her to a program that led to a full-tuition scholarship. It made college possible, and the counselor’s regular check-ins made her feel seen.
- Colleges: Share net price, aid, and outcomes clearly and early. Families decide on value long before they apply.
- Counselors: Start scholarship searches early, build college lists with financial safety schools, and help families compare net price and career outcomes, not just sticker price.
Related: Financial Safety Schools: How to Identify Them and Why They Are Non-Negotiable
2. Volume Is Drowning Out the Signal
Students and counselors are buried in emails, texts, and offers, and more outreach is producing less attention. Sessions this year looked at when communication volume outweighs its value, the gap between what colleges think they are saying and what students actually hear, and demonstrated interest from both sides of the desk. Direct admission came up again too, with early evidence from statewide pilots: it works best when it is intentional and reaches students who are genuinely interested, not when it is sent at scale to everyone.
- Colleges: Send fewer, more relevant messages. Reach students when and where they are actively exploring scholarships, internships, and majors, and let them opt in. Earned interest yields better than assumed interest.
- Counselors: Help students compare fit and outcomes rather than counting offers, and guide them toward schools where they will thrive.
3. Enrollment Cliff 2.0: International Policy Changes Reach Every Campus
Last year we flagged softening international enrollment. This year it is structural. In July, the Department of Homeland Security finalized a rule ending “Duration of Status” for international students, capping their stay at four years. We call this Enrollment Cliff 2.0, stacking on top of the demographic cliff already squeezing the applicant pool. In a companion piece, we made the case for why this is an American problem, not just an international-student one, and an earlier piece covered how the new H-1B visa fee compounds the pressure on international talent pipelines.
Our own analysis shows why no campus is safe. International students contributed $42.9 billion to the U.S. economy in 2024-25, about $16.5 million per four-year campus. Replacing that would take roughly 165 additional freshmen a year at a public campus and 70 at a private one, on top of the shrinking domestic pool. Colleges with few international students are still exposed: when a nearby campus loses full-pay revenue, it discounts deeper, cuts programs, or closes, and the competition for domestic students intensifies.
- Colleges: Strengthen your domestic pipeline now, before competition for a shrinking pool peaks. Diversify international sources, and watch discount rates and net revenue, not just headcount.
- Counselors: Give international families realistic guidance on timelines and post-study work options. For domestic students, expect more aggressive aid offers, and weigh each college’s stability alongside the price.
K-12 Trends: Preparing Students for College and Career
4. College and Career Readiness Is Now One Job, and Caseloads Have Not Shrunk
Counselors are being asked to cover college advising, career exploration, CTE pathways, and work-based learning, often for hundreds of students each. The conversation in Minneapolis was less about adding new programs and more about integrating what already exists: low-prep, high-impact ways to help every student explore careers and colleges at the same time, using design thinking for “who do I want to be” planning, and tapping CTE funding to support college access.
The Future of Work panel reinforced why this matters. Employers want graduates who have already tried things, failed, and learned from it. High school internships, part-time jobs, volunteering, and passion projects are where that starts.
- Counselors: Look for one place where students can explore colleges, careers, internships, and scholarships on their own, so your time goes to guiding them, not hunting for opportunities.
- Colleges: Show up where students are exploring careers and majors, not only when they are building a college list.
Related: Internships for High School Students: Why They Matter and How to Find Them
5. The Story Beyond Scores, and the Portfolio That Tells It
Testing policies keep shifting, and admission teams are asking harder questions about what their policies actually signal. What came through clearly in Minneapolis is a push for depth: extracurriculars as the student’s story, narrative over checklists, the context of a student’s school, and character and purpose alongside grades.
The closing session made it personal. Marquez Young, director of admissions at Sinclair Community College, shared how he helped a student whose GPA and test scores did not open the door to his dream school. A community college pathway did, and that student graduated from North Carolina A&T last December. The lesson: look beyond grades and test scores, and help students see what is possible.
- Counselors: Have students curate their 3 to 6 strongest experiences, each with a short reflection on what they learned. The same portfolio works as a brag sheet for recommendation letters.
- Colleges: Invite portfolios and read them for program fit and potential, not just eligibility.
Related: Teacher and Counselor Tip Sheet: Guiding Students in Building Powerful Portfolios
Shared Trends: K-12 and Higher Ed
6. AI Moves from Curiosity to Workflow, with Authenticity on the Line
Two years ago, AI at NACAC was mostly buzz. This year it was operational: AI in recruitment plans, admission office workflows, and counseling offices. The harder conversations were about ethics and authenticity, especially how to protect a student’s real voice when AI can write an essay in seconds. Employers on the Future of Work panel said they now expect new hires to use AI, but not at the cost of their own critical thinking and judgment.
- Colleges: Use AI to speed up communications and research, keep humans on admission and aid decisions, and be transparent with students about how you use it.
- Counselors: Use AI for reminders, research, and first drafts of resources. Teach students to treat it as a thinking partner, not a ghostwriter, and keep sensitive student data off experimental tools.
Why Cirkled In
Cirkled In is the one platform that brings college and career readiness together: students build a free portfolio with 200+ data points beyond grades, and explore 7,000+ colleges, 6,500+ scholarships, and 24,000+ internships, jobs, and volunteering opportunities, updated regularly. It is free for students and free for counselors. Colleges reach 1.5M+ opted-in students for targeted, in-context domestic recruitment. Learn more for K-12 educators or learn more for colleges.
Final Thoughts: Onward
This year’s theme was “Onward,” and it fits. Policy is shifting, budgets are tight, and families are questioning value. But the message from Minneapolis was hopeful: college still matters, students are more than their scores, and the people who guide them make the difference.
Marquez Young closed with a question worth carrying back to every school and campus: “Are you that person for somebody else?”
For counselors, that means helping every student see and show their whole story. For colleges, it means reaching the right students early, with honesty and intention. We are proud to help both.
K-12 counselors: Let’s set up your class so you can try it out for your own students.
Colleges: Book a time with us to see how Cirkled In can strengthen your domestic pipeline.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by Booth 1520. See you next year!
About Cirkled In
Cirkled In is a matching platform connecting students with best-fit colleges, scholarships, and internships, and colleges with best-fit students. Students build a free portfolio that tells their whole story beyond grades. Counselors get one free platform for college and career readiness. Colleges reach 1.5M+ opted-in students with targeted, in-context engagement to build strong, diverse domestic pipelines.