Aid award decoder

An award letter is designed to look cheaper than it is.

Schools add loans into the "aid" total so the package looks bigger. Put your numbers in below and we'll show you what's actually free, what's debt, what you'd really pay, and what four years of it adds up to.

Type in your offer

Total cost of attendance — tuition + fees + room/board + everything, for one year

Grants (school / Pell / state) — free money that renews

Outside scholarships — often one year only

Work-study — you earn this by working

Subsidized loan

Unsubsidized loan

Parent PLUS loan

What your family can pay / yr — savings + income, optional

My outside scholarships renew all 4 years

Enter your cost of attendance and the lines from your award letter. We'll separate the free money from the debt, show what you'd actually pay, and project all four years.

Estimates only, for understanding your offer — not financial advice. Grant aid renews in most cases; outside scholarships often don't. Loan payments assume a 10-year standard plan around 6.5%. Always confirm the terms on each award letter and at studentaid.gov.