Worksheet
Compare two college aid offers side by side so gift aid, work-study, student loans, parent or private borrowing, family cash, net price, and four-year cost stay visible.
Shared assumptions
Set the annual increase and borrowing comfort limits first, then compare each school offer against the same family boundary.
School option
Use the full annual school estimate before aid.
Gift aid that does not need to be repaid.
Aid earned through work, not guaranteed cash up front.
Student borrowing included in the offer.
Parent PLUS, private, or co-signed borrowing.
Cash, 529, or monthly support available for this school.
School option
Use the full annual school estimate before aid.
Gift aid that does not need to be repaid.
Aid earned through work, not guaranteed cash up front.
Student borrowing included in the offer.
Parent PLUS, private, or co-signed borrowing.
Cash, 529, or monthly support available for this school.
School comparison matrix
Cost of attendance
Sticker cost before gift aid, work-study, loans, or family cash.
School A
$31,000
School B
$62,000
Signal
State University
Grants and scholarships
Gift aid reduces net price without becoming debt.
School A
$8,500
School B
$33,000
Signal
Private College
Work-study
Work-study can help cash flow, but it is earned over time.
School A
$2,500
School B
$2,500
Signal
Aid to verify
Student loans in offer
Student loans are financing, not a discount.
School A
$5,500
School B
$5,500
Signal
Loan amount
Parent/private loans
Parent or private borrowing deserves a separate risk check.
School A
$0
School B
$8,000
Signal
State University
529 / family cash
Cash support reduces the bill but also uses household resources.
School A
$10,000
School B
$10,000
Signal
Family input
Net price after gift aid
Cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
School A
$22,500
School B
$29,000
Signal
State University
Family gap before loans
Net price after work-study and family cash, before new borrowing.
School A
$10,000
School B
$16,500
Signal
State University
Uncovered gap
Amount still not covered after the entered aid, cash, and loan amounts.
School A
$4,500
School B
$3,000
Signal
Private College
Estimated four-year net price
A rough four-year projection using the entered annual increase assumption.
School A
$95,545
School B
$123,147
Signal
State University
Estimated four-year debt in offer
Year-one student, parent, and private borrowing pattern projected over four years.
School A
$23,356
School B
$57,327
Signal
State University
Use it after award letters arrive, before a deposit turns a school choice into a rushed funding decision.
1
Enter the award-letter numbers
Start with cost of attendance, grants, scholarships, work-study, loans, and family cash for each school.
2
Treat loans as financing
Student, parent, and private loans can close the bill, but they should not be counted as discounts.
3
Compare year one and four years
A school can look manageable for freshman year while creating too much cumulative borrowing pressure.
This worksheet compares two school offers using cost of attendance, gift aid, work-study, student loans, parent/private borrowing, family cash, and a rough four-year projection.
The stronger fit depends on the decision lens you choose. A lower net price, lower family gap, and lower borrowing amount can point to different schools.
Confirm whether aid is renewable, whether housing or enrollment rules apply, what is actually billed by the school, and which loan amounts are optional.
This tool is educational. It does not verify aid letters, predict future tuition, replace a school billing statement, or provide financial, tax, legal, or student-aid advice.
Net price notes
