Definition
Attribution connects outcomes to sources: this enrollment traces to that paid-search campaign. In practice it's recorded as source fields on CRM records — set at lead creation and carried through the funnel.
Higher ed attribution is genuinely hard: decisions take months, involve parents and counselors, and cross many touchpoints. No model captures all of it. The practical standard isn't perfection — it's consistency, so channel comparisons hold even when absolute credit is imperfect.
Why it matters
Without attribution there is no per-channel cost math at all. With inconsistent attribution, the math runs but the comparisons lie. The discipline is in the CRM hygiene, not the dashboard.
How Pennant treats it
Pennant reads the attribution your CRM already records — source and channel fields on pseudonymous records — and applies it consistently across spend, funnel, and cohort views. It makes your attribution legible; it doesn't invent touchpoints.