What will college really cost? Uncover your true out-of-pocket costs to attend any college. Get personalized results based on your financial situation and college choices.
Calculate your Expected Family Contribution. Find out how much colleges expect you to pay and how much financial aid you are eligible for.
Use the Scholarship Finder free scholarship search engine to search 545,000 awards worth more than $2.2 billion.
College tuition is only part of the cost of college. Other expenses can add up to a significant portion of your college costs. Financial aid can reduce your costs, so a more expensive college can end up costing less than a less expensive college.
Sizing Up College Costs
The best approach to pay for college is a long-term educational savings plan. Most families, however, find it difficult to pay for college with existing savings. Learn about short- and long-term strategies to pay for college and how financial aid fits in.
Ways to Pay for College
Planning Ahead to Pay for College
Many families underestimate their eligibility for financial aid. Get the facts on college financial aid, including financial aid eligibility, how to apply for financial aid, how to get the most financial aid, and how to analyze financial aid awards.
Get Started With Financial Aid
- What Is Financial Aid?
- Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
- It Starts with Financial Need
- Does It Matter Whose Asset It Is?
- Debunking Myths About Financial Aid
- Your Declaration of Independence
How to Apply for Financial Aid
Grants and Scholarships
Loans and Work-Study
- How Work-Study Works
- Federal Education Loans
- Stafford Loans: The Largest Student Loan Program
- PLUS Loans for Parents
- Mastering Your Loan Application
Understanding Your Financial Aid Award
It's easy to assume that scholarships go to high-flying academic achievers or exceptionally needy students. Truth is, there are plenty of ways to qualify for scholarships. Learn how to conduct a productive scholarship search, find scholarships you are eligible for, create winning scholarship applications, and watch out for scholarship scams.
Scholarship Essentials
- Scholarship Basics
- Where the Bucks Are: "Private" Scholarships
- Scholarships Offered by Colleges
- The Bottom Line: How Much Can You Get?
- Popular Scholarship Myths
Finding and Getting Scholarships
Read the Fine Print
- Renewable or Not: A Critical Distinction
- Using Scholarship Money: What's Allowed?
- Scholarships with Strings Attached