CampusPin Glossary
Net price
What a family actually pays out-of-pocket after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price.
Net price = sticker price – grants & scholarships. It is the single most important affordability number when comparing colleges, because two schools with identical sticker prices can have very different net prices once aid is applied. Federal law requires every U.S. college to publish a Net Price Calculator on its website to give families an income-based estimate before they apply.
CampusPin surfaces published average net price by income bracket where IPEDS reports it. Net price changes year-to-year as aid and tuition shift, so always confirm the current estimate using the institution's own calculator before making a final decision.
See also
Sticker price
The published total cost of attendance (tuition, fees, room, and board) before any financial aid is applied.
Cost of attendance (COA)
The federal government's standardized estimate of one academic year's total cost at a college, including direct and indirect expenses.
Expected Family Contribution (EFC) / Student Aid Index (SAI)
A federal calculation of how much a family is expected to pay for one year of college. Replaced by the Student Aid Index in the 2024–2025 simplified FAFSA.
FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid — the U.S. government form every undergraduate must file to access federal grants, loans, and work-study.
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