College choices should be exciting, not stressful because of money. This tool helps families set budget ceilings and net price targets so they can keep financial fit front and center. With a tracker that compares each school’s net price to your family’s budget, you’ll see where costs align, where gaps exist, and when it’s time to appeal or walk away. • Define your annual affordability cap for tuition, housing, and travel. • Track each school’s net price (using NPC estimates and likely merit aid). • Show gaps between budget and cost targets. • Highlight schools that are over budget. • Add clear rules for when to drop or appeal based on variance.
• First, you’ll share your family’s annual budget ceiling. • You’ll decide whether to include school-specific net price calculator results. • The assistant builds a tracker with columns for costs, merit aid, and gap vs. target. • It also adds rules for when to appeal or remove a school from the list.