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Released: October 26, 2011
Tips for online college costs calculator
Source: Sandra Block, USA Today
You’re on a flight to Orlando, and the aircraft is full. The midsection of the plane is jammed with middle-school students who are scarfing down all the peanuts. In the emergency exit row, a cheerful retiree shares pictures of his grandchildren.
These passengers have two things in common: They don’t have enough legroom, and they didn’t pay full price for their tickets.
The same situation exists at many colleges and universities, particularly private institutions. At most campuses, only a handful of students pay the published, or “sticker” price. The rest receive a mix of scholarships, grants and other forms of financial aid that reduce the cost of attendance.
Starting Saturday, colleges and universities will be required to provide an online calculator designed to give families a better sense of how this process works. The tool is intended to help families come up with an estimate of the actual cost of a particular school — known as the net price — based on their personal situation. Schools can use a template created by the Department of Education or develop their own net price calculator.
Read Full Article: Tips for online college costs calculator
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