I would disagree on the ROI. To me, ROI is the students ability to be successful in their field relative to the cost of the education and whether that higher price point commands a different entry point, or not. For some parents, the ROI may simply feeling good about where their kids are at (expensive non selective private) even if it doesn’t make a bit of difference in the career path trajectory. For others it is knowing their marketability, or graduate school options based on that undergraduate choice. And yes, for others it is their child fulfilling their dream (theirs, not necessarily the child) of a degree from a particular school.
To me, my child’s success (however that success is defined) is a return on my investment and I certainly care about what that return might look like. I expect my child to care too. If they don’t, then what am I investing in? It is a very subjective thing for each family, and each student
In any event, the OP has not been back and was deliberately vague so who knows what was meant.