IMPORTANT – If you’re a spring 2023 Vermont college grad who is staying in state and working for a Vermont-based company, you could be eligible for $5000 in loan repayment! CLICK HERE.
- The College Decision Process
- The College Decision Process
Weighing Your College Offers
If you're on this page, then chances are that you've applied to schools, you've been accepted, and you've begun to receive financial aid offers that explain how each school plans to help you pay for your education or career training.
At VSAC, we know that all of this can be confusing. We've broken the process down into 3 steps:
- Understanding your financial aid offers
- Crunching the numbers
- Weighing your options & making your decision
Our goal is to help you choose the best education for the lowest cost possible.
Wherever you’re at in the process, there’s something here for you; and we're here to help.
How to understand your financial offers
After school acceptance letters have arrived, you'll begin to receive financial aid offers either by e-mail or by letter from each school. The offers will be based on the information on your FAFSA and on other forms that each school may have asked you to submit.
The offers are all going to look different. And each school has different financial aid policies for offering money.
There's a lot to understand, but we'll make it easier. If you have questions after this process, contact us Monday–Friday, 8:00 am–4:30 pm
How to crunch the numbers
Once you've looked through your offers to separate the free money from the loans, you'll want to start looking at your bottom line. Take these steps for each school to give you a consistent view of each school's bottom line.
We recommend using a spreadsheet or online tool to help you make your comparisons. Check out our comprehensive financial aid comparison tool.
Making your decision
Choosing a college is a decision that's probably going to involve a lot of factors, not the least of which is the cost. In addition to the money, you may also be considering distance from home, the type of program you really want, or the type of school environment that may be best for you.
While you're prioritizing your wish list, use our College Comparison Chart to review the factors that are most important to you in a school.
