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Fall is here and if you’re a high school senior you might be thinking about which colleges to attend next year. Making a college list is an important part of the college process as it determines where you might apply, which financial aid forms you need to fill out, and ultimately where you may be able to attend next year. 

When creating a college list, you should consider college affordability. College affordability can be a complex topic, but leveraging available data and resources and understanding what you can pay for college can increase your chances of finding an affordable college option. Here are some helpful tips that we share with students and families every year.

Get to know your Student Aid Index

Your Student Aid Index (SAI) will determine the amount of financial aid you can receive at each college you’re accepted to. We recommend you and your family use the Federal Student Aid Estimator to get an idea of what your SAI might be. Usually, the lower your SAI, the more financial aid you will be eligible to receive.

Include a variety of colleges

When building your college list, you should apply to many types of colleges: competitive private colleges, less competitive private colleges, your state flagship public college, regional state campuses, and community colleges (learn more about application fee waivers at the Common App or NACAC). 

The types of colleges you should include will vary based on factors like your academics and the major you want to pursue. Colleges have different financial aid policies, so the amount of financial aid you receive will vary  across your list. Having a variety of colleges on your list will give you more options this spring when you’re making your college decision. Remember, just because you apply to a college does not mean you have to attend.

Use net price calculators

While the cost of attendance each college lists on its website is helpful, it shouldn’t be the only number that matters. You will likely pay less with financial aid. Every college is required to include a net price calculator on its website. The net price calculator will give you an idea of how much financial aid you could receive, which can provide a more accurate estimate of how much it will cost to attend. These calculators will require you to enter some personal and financial information, but this means they can provide a personalized view of how much financial aid students in similar situations to yours received in the past.

Think beyond cost 

College affordability doesn't just come down to cost. It’s also about ensuring you can be successful at the colleges you apply to, and that it will be worth the time, effort, and money you’re investing. Figuring this out is an imperfect science, but the college scorecard provides many valuable data points that you could consider when building your college list. For a particular college, it can tell you how many students stay enrolled from one year to the next, the graduation rate, average student loan debt, the percentage of students able to repay their loans, and the average income after graduating. 

Be sure to keep all these things in mind when building a college list and deciding where to apply. Considering college affordability now will help ensure you have more choices when deciding where to attend next year.