The True Cost of College

I will file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as soon as possible in January so I can get an estimate of how much financial aid to expect. Is there any way I can find this information for individual colleges? -- Need Aid
Answer: Students are really in luck. Congress ordered all post-secondary schools to post a "net price calculator" by October of this year. It is just an estimate, but it includes what tuition, room and board, fees, books, supplies and transportation are expected to cost. And you also get a financial-aid estimate that includes everything except loans or work-study jobs.
This calculator works reasonably well for schools that mainly give federal and state aid. It is not as accurate for schools that give considerable aid from their own resources for good grades and other factors. You will, unfortunately, find it difficult to see exactly where this calculator is on many college websites. Many schools use the College Board calculator at www.collegeboard.com/html/netpricecalculator.