College and Career Readiness

Net Cost Calculator: Reading a Financial Aid Award Letter

Grades 9-12  |  BleuLearn Homeschool Practice Pack
BleuLearn College and Career standard: The documented net cost of attendance is: Total Cost of Attendance (COA) MINUS grants and scholarships (which do not require repayment). Loans are NOT free money — they are documented debt that accrues interest. Work-study is earned, not guaranteed. Many families mistake total financial aid for total free money. Document the difference.
Institution Research (use College Scorecard: collegescorecard.ed.gov — free)

Institution name: _______________________________________

Documented Cost of Attendance (COA): $ _______________________

Average net price for students receiving aid: $ _______________________

Graduation rate: _______ %    Median salary 10 years after enrollment: $ _______________________

Financial Aid Award Letter Analysis

From your (real or sample) award letter, document each item:

Pell Grant (federal — no repayment): $ _______________________

Institutional grant (school — no repayment): $ _______________________

Other grants or scholarships (no repayment): $ _______________________

Total free money (grants only): $ _______________________

Federal subsidized loan (must repay + interest): $ _______________________

Federal unsubsidized loan (must repay + interest): $ _______________________

Work-study (must earn; not guaranteed): $ _______________________

Calculate Your Real Net Cost

COA: $ _______ MINUS grants and scholarships only: $ _______ = REAL NET COST: $ _______

Total loans offered: $ _______ This is NOT free money. If you borrow this amount at 5% interest over 10 years, your documented monthly payment will be approximately: $ _______

HBCU Comparison (use hbcumoney.com — free)

Name one HBCU you researched: _______________________

Its documented net cost after aid: $ _______________________   Graduation rate: _______________________

BleuLearn Pause

Write one sentence about the documented difference between what a college's marketing materials say about affordability and what the College Scorecard documents about actual net cost: