Net Price Calculator – Loan calculator

College Net Price Calculator

Estimated Cost of Attendance (Annual)

Annual Tuition and Fees ($):

Annual Room and Board ($):

Annual Books and Supplies ($):

Annual Other Personal Expenses ($):

Estimated Gift Aid (Annual – Non-Repayable)

Federal Grants (e.g., Pell Grant) ($):

State Grants ($):

Institutional Grants/Scholarships ($):

Private Scholarships ($):

Your Estimated Annual Net Price

Total Cost of Attendance: $0.00

Total Gift Aid: $0.00

Net Price: $0.00

This is an estimate. Actual costs and aid may vary.

function calculateNetPrice() { var tuitionFees = parseFloat(document.getElementById('tuitionFees').value); var roomBoard = parseFloat(document.getElementById('roomBoard').value); var booksSupplies = parseFloat(document.getElementById('booksSupplies').value); var otherExpenses = parseFloat(document.getElementById('otherExpenses').value); var federalGrants = parseFloat(document.getElementById('federalGrants').value); var stateGrants = parseFloat(document.getElementById('stateGrants').value); var institutionalGrants = parseFloat(document.getElementById('institutionalGrants').value); var privateScholarships = parseFloat(document.getElementById('privateScholarships').value); // Validate inputs if (isNaN(tuitionFees) || isNaN(roomBoard) || isNaN(booksSupplies) || isNaN(otherExpenses) || isNaN(federalGrants) || isNaN(stateGrants) || isNaN(institutionalGrants) || isNaN(privateScholarships)) { document.getElementById('totalCOA').innerText = 'Total Cost of Attendance: Invalid input'; document.getElementById('totalGiftAid').innerText = 'Total Gift Aid: Invalid input'; document.getElementById('netPriceValue').innerText = 'Net Price: Please enter valid numbers for all fields.'; return; } // Calculate Total Cost of Attendance (COA) var totalCOA = tuitionFees + roomBoard + booksSupplies + otherExpenses; // Calculate Total Gift Aid var totalGiftAid = federalGrants + stateGrants + institutionalGrants + privateScholarships; // Calculate Net Price var netPrice = totalCOA – totalGiftAid; // Display results document.getElementById('totalCOA').innerText = 'Total Cost of Attendance: $' + totalCOA.toFixed(2); document.getElementById('totalGiftAid').innerText = 'Total Gift Aid: $' + totalGiftAid.toFixed(2); document.getElementById('netPriceValue').innerText = 'Net Price: $' + netPrice.toFixed(2); }

Understanding the College Net Price Calculator

Planning for college is a significant financial undertaking, and understanding the true cost is crucial. The "sticker price" of a college can often be misleading, as many students receive financial aid that significantly reduces what they actually pay. This is where the Net Price Calculator comes in.

What is Net Price?

The net price is the actual cost a student pays to attend a college or university in one academic year, after subtracting any grants and scholarships they receive. It's the difference between the institution's total Cost of Attendance (COA) and the total "gift aid" (financial aid that doesn't need to be repaid).

Components of the Cost of Attendance (COA)

The Cost of Attendance is an estimate of all expenses a student might incur while attending college for an academic year. It typically includes:

Tuition and Fees: The direct cost for instruction and enrollment.
Room and Board: Expenses for housing and meals, whether on-campus or an allowance for off-campus living.
Books and Supplies: Estimated costs for textbooks, course materials, and other academic necessities.
Other Personal Expenses: An allowance for transportation, personal care items, entertainment, and other miscellaneous costs.

Understanding Gift Aid

Gift aid refers to financial assistance that does not need to be repaid. This is distinct from student loans, which must be repaid with interest. Key types of gift aid include:

Federal Grants: Such as the Pell Grant, awarded by the U.S. government based on financial need.
State Grants: Aid provided by individual state governments, often based on need or merit.
Institutional Grants/Scholarships: Funds awarded directly by the college or university, which can be need-based, merit-based, or both.
Private Scholarships: Awards from external organizations, foundations, or individuals.

How to Use This Calculator

Our College Net Price Calculator helps you estimate your potential out-of-pocket costs. Simply input your estimated annual costs for tuition, room & board, books, and other expenses. Then, enter any federal, state, institutional, or private grants and scholarships you anticipate receiving. The calculator will then provide:

Total Cost of Attendance: The sum of all your estimated college expenses.
Total Gift Aid: The sum of all your estimated non-repayable financial aid.
Net Price: Your estimated actual cost for the year after gift aid is applied.

Important Considerations

This calculator provides an estimate based on the information you provide. Actual costs and financial aid packages can vary. For the most accurate net price, it's always best to use the official net price calculator on each college's website, which often takes into account more detailed financial information specific to their institution and your family's circumstances. This tool is excellent for initial planning and comparing potential costs across different institutions.