College Cost & Financial Aid Guides
The price a college lists is rarely what a family pays. These 41 guides explain the difference between sticker price and net price, how grants, loans and work-study fit into an aid offer, where international and graduate students can find funding, and how admission tests are scored.
Each guide links to the official source behind its figures, such as the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, Federal Student Aid, or the test maker. Rules and amounts change, so confirm details with the college or sponsor before you rely on them.
What college really costs
- Net price vs. sticker price: what college really costs
The difference between the listed cost of attendance and what families pay after grants, with College Scorecard medians.
- Net price vs. sticker price at 22 top colleges
Average net price by family income at 22 well-known colleges, from the College Scorecard.
- OSU cost of attendance: Ohio State vs. Oklahoma State vs. Oregon State
2024-25 College Scorecard cost of attendance, tuition and net price by income for the three OSUs.
- St. Thomas University cost: Miami vs. St. Paul vs. Houston
2024-25 College Scorecard cost of attendance, tuition and net price by income for the three St. Thomas universities.
- Misericordia University tuition: cost vs. Mercyhurst and Point Park
2024-25 College Scorecard cost of attendance, tuition and net price by income for Misericordia, Mercyhurst and Point Park.
- New York Film Academy tuition: NYFA cost vs. CalArts, Chapman and SCAD
2024-25 College Scorecard cost of attendance, tuition and net price by income for NYFA, CalArts, Chapman and SCAD.
- Nebraska Wesleyan tuition: cost vs. Concordia Nebraska and Doane
2024-25 College Scorecard cost of attendance, tuition and net price by income for Nebraska Wesleyan, Concordia University-Nebraska and Doane University.
- Morris College tuition: cost vs. Benedict, Claflin and Allen
2024-25 College Scorecard cost of attendance, tuition and net price by income for four private HBCUs in South Carolina: Morris, Benedict, Claflin and Allen.
- College net price calculators: official links for 829 schools
Official net price calculator links for 829 colleges by state, from College Scorecard data, each checked on Nov. 5, 2026.
- In-state vs. out-of-state tuition: how much more public colleges charge
College Scorecard data on 569 public colleges: the typical out-of-state premium, the biggest gaps, and four regional discount programs.
- How to read a college financial aid offer
Separate grants from loans and work-study, and compare offers line by line.
- Compare college financial aid offers side by side
A calculator for putting two or more aid offers on the same basis.
Ways to pay
- Ways to pay for college and grad school
An overview of grants, scholarships, loans, work and assistantships.
- How to pay for college: FAFSA, Pell Grants, state and school aid
Federal, state and college aid for U.S. undergraduates.
- Financial aid for international students: paying for a U.S. bachelor's
Where aid for international undergraduates comes from, since F-1 students can't get federal aid.
- Graduate assistantships and fellowships: paying for a master's or PhD
Assistantships, fellowships and other graduate funding.
- How much financial aid do U.S. colleges give international students? What 11 colleges report
How many nonresident undergrads 11 colleges aided, the average award, and the cost it's measured against, from each college's Common Data Set.
- CSS Profile vs. FAFSA: do you need both?
What each form is for and which colleges ask for the CSS Profile.
- Funding for international graduate students in the U.S.
Scholarships, fellowships and assistantships open to international graduate students.
- F-1 student work rules and paying for college
On-campus jobs, CPT, OPT and STEM OPT, and what they mean for your budget.
FAFSA deadlines
- FAFSA deadlines by state for 2027-28
Official 2027-28 state aid deadlines for 10 states, plus the June 30, 2028 federal deadline.
- Texas FAFSA deadline 2027-28: state aid dates
Texas state aid deadlines for the 2027-28 FAFSA, checked on official sources.
- California FAFSA deadline 2027-28: state aid dates
California state aid deadlines for the 2027-28 FAFSA, checked on official sources.
- Florida FAFSA deadline 2027-28: state aid dates
Florida state aid deadlines for the 2027-28 FAFSA, checked on official sources.
- New York FAFSA deadline 2027-28: state aid dates
New York state aid deadlines for the 2027-28 FAFSA, checked on official sources.
- Illinois FAFSA deadline 2027-28: state aid dates
Illinois state aid deadlines for the 2027-28 FAFSA, checked on official sources.
- Ohio FAFSA deadline 2027-28: state aid dates
Ohio state aid deadlines for the 2027-28 FAFSA, checked on official sources.
- Pennsylvania FAFSA deadline 2027-28: state aid dates
Pennsylvania state aid deadlines for the 2027-28 FAFSA, checked on official sources.
- Georgia FAFSA deadline 2027-28: state aid dates
Georgia state aid deadlines for the 2027-28 FAFSA, checked on official sources.
- North Carolina FAFSA deadline 2027-28: state aid dates
North Carolina state aid deadlines for the 2027-28 FAFSA, checked on official sources.
- Michigan FAFSA deadline 2027-28: state aid dates
Michigan state aid deadlines for the 2027-28 FAFSA, checked on official sources.
Scholarship deadlines
- Scholarships due in November 2026
November deadlines, each checked against the sponsor's official page.
- Scholarships due in December 2026
December deadlines, including Hagan, Ron Brown, Burger King Scholars and Equitable, each checked on the sponsor's official page.
- Scholarships due in January 2027
January deadlines for Live Más, Dell Scholars and the Jackie Robinson Foundation, each checked on the sponsor's official page.
Admission tests
- The SAT: scoring, official practice and how colleges use it
How the digital SAT is scored (400–1600) and where to find official College Board practice.
- The ACT: scoring, official prep and how colleges use it
How the ACT composite (1–36) is calculated.
- TOEFL iBT for college admission: the new 1–6 score scale
What changed on January 21, 2026, and official ETS prep.
- IELTS for U.S. college admission: band scores explained
How IELTS band scores (1–9) work.
- The Duolingo English Test: scores and colleges that accept it
How the DET is scored (10–160).
- The GRE General Test: scoring and official prep
Verbal and Quant 130–170, Analytical Writing 0–6.
- The GMAT exam: scoring and official prep
Total 205–805, sections 60–90, scores valid five years.
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