Net Price Calculator

This calculator will give you a better understanding of the dollars your family will be required to pay for your college education. It is only an estimate.

Please note that there are direct and indirect costs at every institution. The amount you pay directly to Dordt will be less than the figure you'll obtain from this calculator. We have included estimates for books, travel, and personal expenses. We call these indirect costs.

We use relatively high estimates for these indirect costs so that you won't underestimate. However, you have some control over this indirect portion, and your costs could well be less than the figures we have used. Remember, you will have some of these expenses whether you go to college or not, and you'll have them anywhere you choose to attend.

Only full-time, first-time, degree-seeking undergraduate students who

• graduated from high school
• are considered financial "dependents" of their parents on their financial aid forms
• will not receive faculty waivers or similar programs.

First of all, we run this information through a simplified formula similar to the one used by the U.S. Department of Education.

We consider the information you provided for the calculator and then look at the average awards we offered to similar students who enrolled at Dordt in the past. We can't always determine the exact amount of financial aid (grants and scholarships, as well as loans and on campus employment) you'll receive, but we come close in many cases. The second graph will give you an estimated range of the aid we believe you will receive. We've found that 90% of our students received financial aid in the ranges posted on this graph.

The tentative amount calculated through this tool is not your financial aid award. It is only an estimate based on the financial aid we were able to offer our students in previous years. The cost of attending Dordt and the amount of financial aid available changes each year. It is important that you realize these estimates are not binding on Dordt.

And remember: the calculator's estimated cost of attendance reflects both direct costs (tuition and fees, food and housing and indirect costs (books, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses) that may be lower than the estimates we have used.

Note: the terms below will be helpful in filling out and understanding the results of this form.

Assets

Any item of value. Assets can be divided into three categories:

• cash, savings, and checking account balance,
• real estate and other investments such as rental property, mutual funds, trust funds, art, or other items you have purchased hoping it will go up in value,
• investment farm (not a family farm) or a business (do not include a business you own and control which has less than 100 employees).

Do not include the net value of your home, life insurance or retirement plans (401(k) plans, pension funds, annuities, non-education IRAs Keogh plans, etc. anywhere in this section).

Dependent

A student is a "dependent" when parents must provide financial information on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Generally students are considered "dependent" if they are not a veteran, not an orphan, until they are married, or until they turn 25. Students do not become "independent" for financial aid purposes even if their parents choose to not claim them as dependents on the parents' federal tax return.

Gift aid

Grants and/or scholarships that do not need to be repaid.

Self-help aid

Financial Aid with strings attached; loans that must be repaid or on-campus employment that requires you to work before you are paid.

Stafford loans

Federal Stafford Loans can be borrowed without a credit check or co-signer. They may be subsidized where the government pays the interest while the student is in college, or Unsubsidized where interest begins as soon as the loan is issued.

Student employment

Designated amount of earning potential through campus jobs. Students are paid every pay period based on hours worked.

Your share

The direct payment to Dordt will be lower than this number, which includes the remaining direct costs of tuition and fees, food and housing, as well as estimated indirect costs such as books and supplies, transportation, and personal items for the academic year. Monthly payment plans and Plus Loans (for parents) or credit based private/alternative educational loans are available to help pay these expenses. Remember: Since indirect costs are estimated on the high side, your own costs could be lower.