Free financial aid calculators
Turn college costs into a plan you can act on
Estimate the true four-year cost, build a savings target, and see how student-loan decisions change your monthly life.
Three connected decisions
Plan from price tag to final payment
College Cost Calculator
Project four years of tuition and living costs, subtract aid and family contributions, and reveal the real funding gap.
Killer feature: net funding gap by yearEstimate college cost → 02College Savings Calculator
Inflate today’s college price to enrollment, project investment growth, and calculate exactly what to save each month.
Killer feature: required monthly contributionBuild a savings plan → 03Student Loan Calculator
See monthly payment and total interest, then compare how an extra payment changes the payoff date and income burden.
Killer feature: extra-payment + income checkModel student loans →Start before you borrow
Search colleges using the same money-first lens
Our college search pairs federal cost and outcome data with your own annual budget, then lets you compare up to three schools.
How to use these calculators
- Estimate cost first. Use the best current numbers from each college’s financial-aid office—not only published tuition.
- Test a conservative savings return. Investment returns are uncertain, especially as enrollment approaches.
- Stress-test the loan. Compare the payment with expected take-home pay and add a small extra payment to see the long-run effect.
These tools are educational estimates, not financial advice or a promise of aid, investment returns, or loan terms.