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StudentAid.com's personalized College Cost & Planning Report^® provides a side-by-side comparison of:

• Colleges' published cost of attendance
• Student aid eligibility amounts
• Estimated net costs
• How to pay for each college
• Monthly loan payments for students and parents

Each report also includes:

• Detailed profiles of each college of interest, including graduation and retention rates, test score ranges, and distance from a student's home (as many as 10 colleges at a time)
• A custom timeline of key tasks and activities required to plan for college
• An interactive, personal workbook space for students to plan and evaluate which colleges best suit them
• An overview of how the student aid process works to ensure that students know how to be eligible for the most aid possible

We calculate net costs using the same financial information required by an individual's federal student aid application. Currently, our powerful algorithms encompass the nine federal programs, 90% of state student aid funds, and all colleges that have publicly provided their loan limitation and tuition discounting programs. Overall our systems cover more than $100 billion of the $170 billion of student aid available today.

We are encouraging all U.S. colleges to provide us with insight into their student aid formulas to ensure all families have the most accurate net cost calculations possible.

To ensure accuracy, we tested our service on 25 million test cases and with 25,000 real families during our two years of development. Our projections for expected family contribution prove to be within $1 to $2 of actuals when families choose our full service.

The 2008 national study, Solutions to Expand College Access, conducted in conjunction with over 600 experts in college planning (high school counselors, college admissions and financial aid officers), found widespread support for a personalized service to help students compare and understand the net costs of college. Conducted by David Childress, who was then a graduate student at the University of Texas, the study found that parents struggle to understand the net costs of college and their eligibility for student aid. It also revealed that 95% of respondents believed that providing a side-by-side comparison of such college costs would greatly improve a student's and family's ability to select the right college. David now leads the development of the College Cost & Planning Report as the company's general manager.

Sometimes it's a challenge to think about other colleges you should be considering—but with our College Suggestor™ it's easy!

Simply tell us the name of one or more colleges that you are interested in, and we'll tell you the names of other colleges most commonly considered by students who were also interested in the same colleges. Use the College Suggestor™ to find colleges that may be a good fit for you and then get a College Cost & Planning Report^® to learn the best fit for your career goals and your bank account. No more wasting money on applying for colleges that aren't a great fit. Imagine, while others are waiting anxiously until they receive their award letters in the spring, you'll know in advance what to expect.

To learn more about our services, please visit www.studentaid.com/faqs