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Compare aid offers side by side.

Award letters label things differently and often mix loans in with grants. Copy the numbers from each letter and see what each college really costs, what you would borrow, and the four-year total.

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Use yearly amounts. Leave anything a letter doesn't list at zero. Nothing you type leaves this page.

How the numbers work. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships (money you don't repay). Out of pocket is what is left after loans and work-study, which is what you pay from savings and income. Four-year totals assume costs rise 3% a year and that grants marked renewable continue; check each college's renewal rules, such as a minimum GPA. Federal Direct Loans for first-year students are capped at $5,500 a year for most dependent students. This is planning math, not financial advice.

Caveat Academic Services is an independent college preparation company, not affiliated with any college.

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