Higher education can reduce costs at colleges and universities by outsourcing Make no mistake about it — going to college in 2014 is expensive. Students pay for tuition, fees, room and board, books and meal plans. And, given the nature of the economy these past five years, many graduates are struggling to see a positive return on their investment. This situation has fueled a number of debates about the cost of higher education and has led many to emphatically look for solutions to lessen the financial burden on students attending school. One solution comes in the form of outsourcing. Schools that outsource certain operations to cost-effective third party providers can realize significant savings, which ultimately can be passed on to the student population. A white paper from The Institute for Higher Education Policy examined the cost benefits of outsourcing at colleges and universities. While many respondents who were surveyed for the purposes of creating the paper agreed with the assessment that outsourcing can save on costs typically associated with internal processes, many also said that "outsourcing can't all be measured in dollars and cents." The paper went on to suggest that improved services are expected when outsourcing, and that financial benefits can't be fully realized unless this happens. That's why outsourcing to inbound call centers is ideal in higher education. Instead of incurring overhead to house a team of CSRs in an on-campus office, schools that outsource to a US based contact center using at-home representatives can significantly reduce spending while providing administrative offices increased flexibility that allows them to improve the level of service they offer students.