Aid Offer Comparison

A scholarship number on its own doesn't tell you what a school costs. What matters is the price left after you subtract the money you never pay back, and that figure can rank your offers in a different order than the headline numbers do.

Have each school's award letter in front of you, plus its published cost of attendance. If the letter is hard to read, work through reading an aid package first, so you know which line is which before you type it in.

1. 1Start with each school's cost of attendanceThe all-in yearly figure, not tuition alone. It includes housing, food, books, and fees, and the financial aid office publishes it. Tuition-only numbers make every school look cheaper than it is.
2. 2Enter the money that lowers your costAthletic scholarships, grants, and academic awards are money you don't pay back, so they come off the price.
3. 3Enter work-study and loans separatelyBoth appear on an award letter next to the scholarships, and neither lowers what the school costs, because you either work for it or repay it. The tool keeps them out of the total and shows you how much was set aside.
4. 4Compare two to four schools side by sideThe ranking appears once two schools have a cost entered, cheapest real cost on top.

You'll see what each school actually costs your family for one year, and whether the biggest scholarship offer is also the best deal.