Pre-award aid planning
Financial Aid Estimator
Estimate demonstrated need, possible gift aid, self-help, net price, and unmet need before an official school aid offer arrives.
Estimator
Estimate a possible aid package
Use your Student Aid Index and school-specific aid assumptions for one academic year.
About This Financial Aid Estimator
The Financial Aid Estimator helps students model a possible one-year college aid package without pretending to reproduce FAFSA. First, enter a Student Aid Index from an official federal source and the school's annual cost of attendance. Then, add known scholarships and school-specific assumptions.
The result keeps grants and scholarships separate from loans or work-study. Therefore, students can compare estimated gift aid, net price, self-help, and unmet need instead of treating every item in an aid package as a discount.
How to Use the Financial Aid Estimator
Follow these steps for an accurate Estimated Gift Aid result
1Find Your Student Aid Index
Use the SAI on your FAFSA Submission Summary or estimate it with the official Federal Student Aid Estimator. Do not enter an old Expected Family Contribution.
2Enter the School's Cost of Attendance
Use the annual cost of attendance for the correct academic year, program, housing plan, and enrollment status.
3Add Known Gift Aid
Enter school merit aid and outside scholarships already known or reasonably expected.
4Set School Aid Assumptions
Enter the share of remaining demonstrated need the school may meet and the share of that package expected as grants or scholarships.
5Compare Gift Aid, Self-Help, and Unmet Need
Review each part separately, then test a more conservative scenario before making a college decision.
How the Estimate Is Organized
Demonstrated Need
Annual cost of attendance minus the entered Student Aid Index, with a floor of zero.
Known Gift Aid
Merit aid and outside scholarships entered before estimating additional need-based assistance.
Estimated Need-Based Package
Remaining need multiplied by the percentage of need the school may meet.
Estimated Gift Aid
The grant and scholarship portion of the modeled need-based package plus known gift aid.
Estimated Self-Help
The modeled package portion that may involve loans or work-study rather than free aid.
Unmet Need
Remaining demonstrated need not covered by known aid or the modeled need-based package.
Use Official Federal Aid Tools First
Students who do not yet have an SAI should begin with the official Federal Student Aid Estimator. After submitting FAFSA, use the SAI on the FAFSA Submission Summary and compare this planning estimate with each school's official aid offer.
- SAI can be negative, but this calculator limits it to the federal minimum of -1,500.
- Do not interpret SAI as the amount a family must pay.
- Use the correct cost of attendance, not tuition alone.
- Test conservative assumptions because average school statistics do not guarantee an individual package.
- Recalculate for every school and academic year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about calculating GPA at Financial Aid Estimator
Still have questions?
For official GPA rules and academic policies, contact the Financial Aid Estimator Registrar's Office or your academic advisor.More Student Finance Calculators
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