Financial Aid Gap Calculator
Calculate the gap between total cost of attendance and financial aid received to determine out-of-pocket costs.
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Financial Aid Gap
$17,200
Total Cost of Attendance$43,200
Total Aid Package$26,000
Net Price (after free money)$25,200
Aid Coverage60.2 %
Financial Aid Gap vs Tuition and Fees
How to Calculate the Financial Aid Gap
The aid gap is the difference between what college costs and what your financial aid covers. This is the amount you must pay from savings, income, or additional loans.
Formula
Total Cost = Tuition + Room & Board + Books
Aid Gap = Total Cost - (Grants + Loans + Work-Study)
Net Price = Total Cost - Grants/Scholarships (free money only)
The net price is a better measure of true cost since loans and work-study must be repaid or earned.
Example Calculation
COA: $43,200 ($30K tuition, $12K room/board, $1.2K books). Aid: $18K grants, $5.5K loans, $2.5K work-study.
- 01Total cost: $30,000 + $12,000 + $1,200 = $43,200
- 02Total aid: $18,000 + $5,500 + $2,500 = $26,000
- 03Aid gap: $43,200 - $26,000 = $17,200
- 04Net price (free money only): $43,200 - $18,000 = $25,200
- 05Aid coverage: $26,000 / $43,200 = 60.2%