Which communication failures contribute to incomplete applications, missed deadlines or delayed fee payments?

A student starts a college application but never submits it. Another misses a document deadline. Someone else receives a fee reminder but still does not complete the payment.

These may look like separate problems, but each can involve friction in the process: unclear instructions, missing information, competing priorities or difficulty getting help.

When students are unsure what to do next, an important step can remain unfinished. Better communication can help, although it cannot resolve every barrier students face.

What does the research reveal?

A 2023 study by Taylor Odle and Preston Magouirk analysed data from more than 1.2 million high school students in the United States. It found that nearly 25% started a college application but did not complete it. The study was published as an EdWorkingPaper in August 2023.

The research examined patterns associated with non-submission, including early application tasks and student engagement. It did not establish that poor communication caused every abandoned application. However, it highlights the importance of understanding where applicants lose momentum.

Read the research

A separate study published in Discover Education in 2026 examined why students at a UK widening-participation institution failed to submit assignments. More than three-quarters of respondents reported at least one situational factor affecting their ability to meet the first deadline. These included competing responsibilities and time constraints, while some students also reported not knowing the deadline. The study surveyed 88 University of Northampton students and was published in February 2026.

Although this study concerns assignment submission rather than admissions or fee payments, it shows how practical barriers and unclear information can affect completion.

Read the study

Four communication failures that create friction

1. Instructions are unclear or scattered

An application may require several documents, specific formats and multiple steps. When instructions are spread across emails, webpages and portals, students may struggle to identify what remains outstanding.

What institutions can do: Provide a clear checklist, explain document requirements in plain language and make the next action easy to identify.

2. Reminders do not match the student's situation

A generic message asking students to complete an application may be unhelpful to someone who has already submitted most of the required documents. A reminder sent too late may also leave little time to act.

What institutions can do: Where reliable data and integrations are available, tailor reminders to the student's current stage. Clearly state the outstanding action and the relevant deadline.

3. Payment messages leave questions unanswered

A fee notification may tell a student that payment is due without explaining the available payment methods, the amount outstanding or what to do if a transaction fails.

Research shows that simply changing a reminder does not guarantee better results. In a 2017 randomised experiment involving 4,298 students with late tuition payments at University College London, adding a social-norm message about other students having already paid did not significantly increase the likelihood of payment.

The finding matters because it challenges the assumption that a more persuasive reminder will necessarily solve a payment delay. Students may need clearer instructions, help resolving a transaction or support with barriers that messaging cannot fix.

Read the experiment

What institutions can do: Explain payment steps clearly, provide accurate information about deadlines and options, and make it easy to get help with failed or unconfirmed transactions.

4. Getting help takes too much effort

A student may have a genuine question but struggle to identify the right department or contact person. When support routes are difficult to find, a manageable issue can take longer to resolve.

What institutions can do: Make contact options visible, direct enquiries to the appropriate team and provide a clear route to human assistance when self-service information is insufficient.

How can institutions prevent these gaps?

The goal is not to send more messages. It is to make each communication useful.

• Map the student journey. Identify where students must submit information, meet deadlines or complete payments.
• Clarify the next step. Explain what is required, why it matters and when it is due.
• Follow up at the right time. Use relevant student-status information where supported by reliable systems and appropriate permissions.
• Make support accessible. Give students a clear way to ask questions and resolve problems.
• Measure completion, not just delivery. Track incomplete applications, missed deadlines and delayed payments, then investigate the reasons behind them.

Institutions should also account for accessibility, language preferences, privacy and circumstances that cannot be resolved through communication alone.

Want to measure completion as well as delivery? The CPaaS KPI Handbook covers 50+ WhatsApp, SMS and RCS metrics, with formulas and worked examples.

Where can Helo.ai fit?

Communication workflows can help institutions make information easier to access and follow-ups more relevant.

Where supported by the required capabilities, verified information and integrations, Helo Convo can support student-facing conversations and guide students towards relevant next steps.

Helo Clarity can help institutions understand engagement across connected touchpoints where the relevant data is available, supporting more informed follow-up decisions.

These tools can support communication and engagement, but they cannot independently resolve financial difficulties, guarantee successful payments or replace the institutional support students may need.

Want student reminders that students can act on? Talk to the Helo.ai team about clearer, better-timed communication.

Help students take the next step

Incomplete applications, missed deadlines and delayed payments can have different causes. Institutions can still reduce avoidable friction by providing clear instructions, relevant reminders and accessible support.

The priority is to understand where students get stuck and what is preventing them from moving forward.

Better communication is not about sending more messages. It is about helping students understand what to do next and making it easier to do it.

Frequently asked questions

Why do students leave college applications incomplete?

Friction such as unclear instructions, missing information, competing priorities or difficulty getting help can leave applications unfinished. In a 2023 study, nearly 25% of 1.2 million US high school students started an application but never submitted it.

How can universities reduce missed deadlines?

Give students a clear checklist, state the outstanding action and its deadline, and match reminders to their stage. Make help easy to reach when students are unsure.

What can cause delays in student fee payments?

Payment messages that omit the methods, the amount due or what to do if a transaction fails can leave students stuck. In a University College London experiment with 4,298 students, a social-norm reminder did not significantly increase payment.