Award letters are written to be hard to compare. Put two side by side and this shows the real net price of each, with loans counted as what they are.
Offer A
The letter's full sticker: tuition, fees, housing, food, books.
Free money only. You never pay this back.
Loans are not aid. They lower today's bill and become your debt.
Offer B
The letter's full sticker: tuition, fees, housing, food, books.
Free money only. You never pay this back.
Loans are not aid. They lower today's bill and become your debt.
The honest comparison
Fill in both offers and the real numbers appear here. The one to watch is net price: cost of attendance minus free money. Everything else is financing.
Estimates only, for planning. Not financial advice.