In 2023, Nieves Segovia, President of the SEK Education Group in Spain, contemplates the future of her family's for-profit education company, which includes K-12 schools and the newly established UCJC university. Renowned for its innovation in education, SEK faces crucial decisions in a rapidly evolving market. Nieves Segovia grapples with the direction to prioritize for UCJC's growth strategy, considering whether to expand programs and degrees, invest further in online education post-COVID-19 success, or delve into lifelong learning opportunities.

In a groundbreaking move on September 20, 2022, Lasell University's President, Michael B. Alexander, announced an extraordinary 33% reduction in tuition, room, board, and fees, signaling a pivotal shift in higher education. Situated in an affluent Boston suburb, Lasell, a venerable 170-year institution, is taking a bold step to enhance transparency and affordability in response to the perennial escalation of college costs. This historic decision aims to recalibrate the value proposition of a college degree, attracting a more diverse student body, and challenging the prevailing narrative of spiraling tuition rates nationwide. The impact of this unprecedented policy shift is not confined to Lasell alone but reverberates through the broader landscape of American higher education, prompting a critical reassessment of the cost and value dynamics of pursuing a college education.