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College Funding Gap & Borrowing Limit Planner

After grants, scholarships, and savings, how will you cover what's left, and how much borrowing is realistically manageable? This tool builds a year-by-year funding plan for the one school you've already chosen. Comparing schools first? Try the College Net-Cost Comparison tool instead.

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Before You Begin

  • Financial-aid eligibility and loan availability are never guaranteed by this tool. Your official aid offer and your school's billing statements always control over this estimate.
  • Federal loan limits, interest rates, repayment options, and program rules can change. This tool uses a maintained rules table with an effective date, shown in the results.
  • Expected starting salary and take-home pay are estimates you provide, not promises of future income.
  • Private-loan approval and pricing depend on the lender and the borrower and aren't calculated here.
  • Parent debt and student debt are evaluated separately — a parent loan isn't automatically the student's responsibility, or vice versa.
  • This tool does not determine FAFSA eligibility and does not calculate an official Student Aid Index.
  • Everything you enter stays in your own browser on this device. We don't send it to a server or store it on our end. Closing your browser's site data, or using "Clear my data" below, permanently deletes it.

1Education Plan

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2Annual Cost of Attendance

Enter costs separately for each academic year — up to 6.

3Grants & Scholarships

Enter the annual amount for each type of gift aid you expect, and how reliable it is.

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4Available Family Resources

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Summer and school-year earnings are gross pay; this tool applies the "earnings actually available" percentage above so tuition planning isn't based on money that goes to taxes, transportation, or living costs.

5Borrowing Options

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6Expected Post-Graduation Finances

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Optional, for parent affordability

A note on guardrails Financial-aid eligibility and loan availability are never guaranteed. Federal limits, interest rates, repayment options, and program rules can change. Expected earnings are estimates, not promises. Private-loan approval and pricing depend on the lender and borrower. Parent debt and student debt should be evaluated separately. This tool does not determine FAFSA eligibility or calculate an official Student Aid Index. Official aid offers and school billing information should always control.