Several years ago, Congress required each college to post on its website a “Net Price Calculator,” a tool that allows families to enter
financial information and get an estimate of the cost for the upcoming year of college. The calculators aren’t perfect and don’t
represent any guarantees, but they can help some families see that the amount
of financial aid you receive is often determined in part by the price of the
college you select.
The Net Price Calculator usually appears somewhere in the “financial
aid” section of a college’s website, but if you’re looking for a shortcut, you
can link directly by visiting netpricecalculator.com.