REGISTER

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College affordability conversations tend to focus on tuition. But it’s the total cost of attendance (COA), from mandatory meal plans to technology fees to rising rents, that can catch many students off guard and derail their progress toward a degree. 

Join Inside Higher Ed for a live webcast, based on our newly-published deep dive report, to hear an expert panel discuss efforts to improve COA accuracy and transparency, zooming in on students and change-makers in California, New York and Texas. 

The discussion will provide recommendations for states and institutions on how to deliver more accurate COA data, expanded emergency aid and clearer communication to help students plan for the full cost of college, not just the tuition bill. 

Can't attend the webcast? You should still register -- all registrants, including attendees and absentees, will receive a recording of the webcast and a copy of the presentation slides. 

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | 2 p.m. E.T.

Beyond Tuition: The Hidden Costs of College and Their Disproportionate Impact

PANELISTS

Ruben Elias Canedo
Director of Strategic Equity Initiatives at the University of California, Berkeley

Ruben E. Canedo (he/they) was born & raised in the border areas of Coachella, Imperial and Mexicali. Ruben’s career focuses on public higher education and transformative justice. Ruben serves as director of strategic equity initiatives within UC Berkeley’s Division of Equity & Inclusion. His responsibilities include research, organizing, policy and advocacy. As of summer 2023, Ruben is one of four co-founders who are launching the new Center for Economic Justice & Action (CEJA) that will be dedicated to research, evaluation, education and training for public higher education and related movement locations. Ruben will serve as CEJA’s co-director of education & training. Outside of his roles in higher education, for over 15 years, Ruben supports small to large institutions/organizations/community-based organizations dedicated to healing, disability and transformative justice with facilitation, strategy, training and keynoting.

Melissa Ezarik
Deep Dive Report Author

Melissa Ezarik is a K12- and higher education-focused journalist, editor and content strategist with a deep understanding of how campus programming and approaches, as well as institutional and legislative policies, impact student success. She developed and launched Inside Higher Ed’s Student Voice surveys and the Student Success news hub and e-letter, covering success in academics, the college experience, health and wellness (including financial literacy) and career exploration and preparation. As creator of the Substack publication Higher Ed Giving Site Storytelling, Ezarik advises colleges and universities on advancement communications, especially related to narratives around donor impact on student opportunities, services and supports.

Colleen Flaherty
Senior Editor of Special Content at Inside Higher Ed

Colleen Flaherty, senior editor of special content, previously served as Student Voice editor for Inside Higher Ed. Prior to joining the publication in 2012, Colleen was military editor at the Killeen Daily Herald, outside Fort Hood, Texas. Before that, she covered government and land use issues for the Greenwich Time and Hersam Acorn Newspapers in her home state of Connecticut. After graduating from McGill University in Montreal with a degree in English literature, Colleen taught English and English as a second language in public schools in the Bronx, New York. She earned her M.S.Ed. from City University of New York Lehman College as part of the New York City Teaching Fellows program.