Helping students plan

Helping parents plan

Planning wisely

Evaluating college affordability

When evaluating a school's affordability, look at your overall financial picture to determine which costs you can cover.

Parent and child

If your family is like most, you'll need to investigate all the financial aid options offered by a school.

College Answer’s online Affordability Analyzer can help you evaluate the cost of attending college while taking into consideration how much financial aid you might receive.

This analyzer lets you:

  • Determine the average cost of attending your school of choice.
  • Find out the average financial aid package offered.
  • Estimate how much you might be expected to contribute toward education costs.
  • Review various financing options, including student loans.
  • Estimate monthly payments when you choose a student loan.

Qualifying for financial aid

A lot of families assume that their incomes are too high to qualify them for financial aid. The only way to know for sure if you qualify is to fill out a FAFSA.

Learn more about Qualifying for financial aid.

Sticker shock?

Never rule out a college based on sticker price.
Once you factor in financial aid, it is possible that a college with a higher price may cost you less than one with a lower price and a smaller financial aid package.

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