A college's net price is its attendance costs that students and parents need to pay out-of-pocket or through student loans. It’s calculated as the college's total cost — including tuition, room and board, and books — minus any grants and scholarships for which a student is eligible.
“You never know what type of aid an institution offers,” “Sometimes students are surprised by what might be available to them.”
For example, say University A costs $50,000 per year and University B costs $35,000. At first glance, University B appears more affordable. But once you've completed both schools' net price calculators, you might find that you qualify for $20,000 in aid from University A and no aid from University B. That brings University A's net price to $30,000, or $5,000 less than University B's.
The estimate given in a calculator is not binding and doesn’t consider the unique circumstances of each students, including any life events that may have an impact on their ability to pay, and others standards that might be required for certain grants and scholarships, like GPS requirements