College Financial Fit Matters: Understanding Cost & Aid
There is a very specific moment in the college process when even the calmest, most rational families temporarily lose their minds. It is not the essay deadline or even the admissions decisions. It is the financial aid package letter. There are numbers everywhere. Tuition. Fees. Grants. Scholarships. Loans. Work-study. “Estimated cost of attendance.” “Net cost.” Something called “Parent PLUS” that sounds friendly but is actually scary. The letter usually suggests you should feel reassured—and yet, you do not. Because, unlike essays or extracurriculars, this part is not abstract or philosophical. It’s math, and math feels final. Why Financial Aid Letters [...]