Tools to Help Students Make Their College List

Tools to Help Students Make Their College List

Higher education is an investment, and prospective students and families should make an informed choice when selecting a college. There are so many questions that need to be answered when students decide where to apply: "Is this college the right size? Is the location right?” and of course "Is it affordable?" Fortunately, there are resources that can help answer these questions. Here is a quick rundown of some tools available and what they offer. Use these tools with students or encourage students to explore the resources on their own.

College Navigator

College Navigator, a resource provided by the federal government, is a great place for students to start their college search. Students can search for colleges sorted by type (e.g. 2-year, 4-year, private, public), location, degree level, and even major. Under each college is listed a wide range of information including cost, class and faculty size, campus safety measures, available athletics, and much more. Students can save their searches and keep track of favorites.

College Scorecard

College Scorecard?is another federal tool that was developed to help families with the college search process. The focus of the College Scorecard is really to empower families to make the best financial investment they can when selecting a college. There is some academic and demographic information listed under each college, but it's just a minimal amount. The main points of focus allow families to see the average cost of a particular college after financial aid has been granted, how well a college does at graduating the students that enroll, and what the average student earns 10 years after enrolling in that college. All of these are crucial factors when determining if a particular college will provide a good return for the tuition paid.

Net Price Calculators

Every college is required to have a?Net Price Calculator?on their website. The tool allows a prospective student or family to get an estimate as to how much financial aid they could receive at the college in question and the remaining bill after financial aid is included. Net Price Calculators may vary from college to college, but generally the student will have to provide some basic information such as the number of people in the household, the number of students who will attend college in the upcoming year, and student and parent income and asset information. Some colleges may also ask for the student's academic information, such as GPA and standardized test score, so they can be assessed for the possibility of a merit scholarship. Regardless of the details, the information will be collected and the student's estimated financial aid will be calculated.

MEFA Pathway

MEFA Pathway allows students to search for colleges that best fit their preferences and save the results. Students can search by their desired area of study, state or province, region of the country, degree type, school size, setting, tuition amount, public/private type, admissions difficulty, GPA, and/or standardized test score.

These tools can be critical early on in the college planning process. Using these resources ensures that students will have many viable options to choose from when they receive their admissions acceptance letters and financial aid packages from colleges.

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