Free Financial Aid Calculator
Estimate your net college cost after financial aid including grants, scholarships, and loans. See how much you actually need to pay.
Free money that does not need repayment
Net Cost (Out of Pocket)
$15,000
Unmet Need (Gap)$7,000
Free Aid Coverage40.0
Net Cost (Out of Pocket) vs Total Annual Cost ($)
How to Calculate Net College Cost
Net cost is what you actually pay after subtracting free aid.
Formula
Net Cost = Total Cost - Grants - Scholarships - Work-Study
Loans are not subtracted from net cost because they must be repaid. The gap is the unmet need after all aid sources.
Example Calculation
Total cost $30,000 with $12,000 in grants, $8,000 in loans, and $3,000 work-study.
- 01Net cost = $30,000 - $12,000 - $3,000 = $15,000
- 02Total aid = $12,000 + $8,000 + $3,000 = $23,000
- 03Gap (unmet need) = $30,000 - $23,000 = $7,000
- 04Free aid coverage = ($12,000 / $30,000) x 100 = 40%