About CollegeAidCalc

Free, transparent tools to help every student and family understand the true cost of college — before signing anything.

Our Mission

CollegeAidCalc exists because college financial aid is confusing by design. Award letters use different formats. EFC and SAI calculations are hidden behind government formulas. Loan repayment options multiply every year. Most families sign on the dotted line without understanding what they're agreeing to.

We built CollegeAidCalc to change that. Our calculators are free, ad-supported, and built on the same formulas used by financial aid offices and the U.S. Department of Education — explained in plain English so you can make informed decisions.

Our Tools

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SAI / EFC Estimator

Estimate your Student Aid Index using the 2026 Federal Methodology and see your expected net cost.

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Loan Calculator

Calculate monthly payments and view a full amortization schedule for any student loan.

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Loan Comparison

Compare up to 3 loan offers side by side with break-even and total cost analysis.

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Repayment Plans

Compare Standard, Graduated, SAVE, PAYE, IBR, and ICR plans based on your income.

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Our Principles

Always Free

Every calculator on this site is free to use. No account required, no paywalls.

Privacy First

All calculations happen in your browser. We never store your financial inputs.

Transparent Formulas

We document our calculations and link to official sources so you can verify every result.

No Selling Your Data

We do not sell user data to lenders, colleges, or any third party. Ever.

How We're Funded

CollegeAidCalc is supported by display advertising (Google AdSense) and affiliate partnerships with student loan refinancing companies including SoFi, Earnest, and Credible. If you refinance a loan through one of our partner links, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

These partnerships do not influence our calculator results, formulas, or editorial content. Our tools produce the same outputs regardless of any affiliate relationship.

Important Limitations

CollegeAidCalc is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid, or any college or university. Our SAI/EFC estimates use a simplified Federal Methodology — your actual FAFSA-calculated SAI may differ due to school-specific adjustments, professional judgment, and verification. All results are estimates for planning purposes only. Consult your school's financial aid office for official award figures, and a certified financial aid counselor (NFAA) for personalized guidance.

Contact Us

Have a question, correction, or feedback? We'd love to hear from you.

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