College money guides
Practical, source-linked explanations of how college costs, financial aid and outcome data really work. Every guide cites official sources and names the year of any figure that changes annually.
18 guides
Paying for college
Net price, financial aid and borrowing.
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Net Price vs. Sticker Price: What You Actually Pay
Sticker price is the published cost; net price is what remains after grants and scholarships. Learn how the two differ and how to compare colleges fairly.
7 min readRead guide →
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Net Price by Family Income: How Aid Changes the Bill
College Scorecard reports net price in five family-income ranges. See how to read the bands, why they differ by school, and how to find your own range.
7 min readRead guide →
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FAFSA Step by Step: The 2027–28 Application Explained
A plain-English walkthrough of the 2027–28 FAFSA: what to gather, who must contribute, how to submit, what happens next, and which deadlines matter.
8 min readRead guide →
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Pell Grant Basics: Who Qualifies and How Much You Get
The Federal Pell Grant is free aid for undergraduates with financial need. Learn the 2026–27 maximum, how eligibility works, and the 12-semester limit.
7 min readRead guide →
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Federal Student Loans Explained: Subsidized, Unsubsidized, PLUS
How Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Parent PLUS loans differ, with the 2026–27 interest rates and borrowing limits, plus a worked cost example.
8 min readRead guide →
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How Much Student Debt Is Too Much? Measuring Affordability
No magic number exists, but you can test a loan against expected pay. Learn debt-to-earnings, the 10-year payment and how to read Scorecard debt figures.
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How to Compare Financial Aid Offers and Find Your Real Cost
Learn to compare college aid offers by separating grants from loans and work-study, calculating net cost per year, spotting award-letter traps, and appealing.
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Hidden Costs of College: What the Sticker Price Leaves Out
Books, housing, meal plans, fees, transportation, technology and health insurance: what federal cost of attendance covers and which expenses still surprise families.
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FAFSA When a Parent Has No Social Security Number: A Guide
A parent without an SSN can still help with the FAFSA. Learn how the account, ITIN field, identity check and state aid options work, and where to get official help.
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Choosing a school
Compare school types, pathways and costs.
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Community College vs. Four-Year College: How to Decide
Compare cost, completion, transfer and earnings to decide between community college and a four-year school, with data pitfalls and a checklist for choosing.
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In-State vs. Out-of-State Tuition: Rules, Gaps and Discounts
Why public colleges charge residents less, how residency is decided, what the Scorecard net price covers, and regional programs like WUE that cut out-of-state costs.
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Public vs. Private vs. For-Profit Colleges: How They Differ
How public, private nonprofit and for-profit colleges differ in price, outcomes and credit transfer, with Scorecard medians and questions to ask any school.
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Transfer Pathways: How to Save Money Without Losing Credits
How 2+2 plans, articulation agreements and transfer degrees can cut college costs, what GAO found about lost credits, and how to protect yours before you enroll.
8 min readRead guide →
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HBCUs and Minority-Serving Institutions: What the Terms Mean
What HBCU, HSI, TCU, PBI, AANAPISI and other minority-serving labels mean, who qualifies, how to read the data, and what changed in federal grants.
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Understanding the data
What the numbers on a college profile do and do not tell you.
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What a College Acceptance Rate Does and Doesn't Tell You
An acceptance rate is the share of applicants admitted. Learn what it measures, what it hides, how open admission works and how to build a balanced college list.
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Test-Optional Colleges and How to Read SAT/ACT Ranges
Learn what test-optional means, how College Scorecard records test policies, how to read the middle 50% SAT and ACT range, and when submitting scores helps.
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Graduation and Retention Rates: What They Measure and Miss
Learn how graduation and retention rates are defined, who they leave out, how to compare colleges fairly and why a low rate is not always a bad sign.
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How to Read College Scorecard Earnings Data Without Being Misled
What College Scorecard earnings measure, who they cover, why values go missing and how to use earnings, debt and payback figures to compare colleges carefully.
9 min readRead guide →