<p>Bob - The 684 colleges using Student Aid Services, Inc.'s custom net price calculator accurately estimate merit aid. Most, if not all, custom NPCs do the same. You can try many of those NPCs at [Examples</a> of Our Work - Student Aid Services](<a href=“HugeDomains.com”>HugeDomains.com). About 1,500 of the countrys 6,800 colleges and other post-secondary schools posted accurate, custom net price calculators that are predictive that is they are algorithmic calculators based on current or future aid award formulas and cost of attendance. These provide reliable merit aid estimates.</p>
<p>However, more than 5,000 colleges and other schools chose to create an NPC using the free federal NPC template, which functions as a very simplistic data table that looks up a students estimated grant aid award and net price based on two-year-old aid award averages, rather than an algorithm that can more precisely calculate estimates. (Colleges cannot change these parameters.) Thats why they are referred to as reflective NPCs. On top of that problem, the federal NPC template doesnt adhere to the exact Federal Methodology for determining need-based aid. </p>
<p>To your query, any college using the federal template NPC is estimating merit aid without asking any academic criteria questions! That typically makes a students net price inaccurate especially at institutions that offer substantial merit aid. For example, high-need, high-achieving students would not get the correct merit aid credit for their academic achievements Also, the federal template does not calculate military aid for veterans and active duty service members.</p>
<p>Using profiles of 145,490 real dependent and independent students, Student Aid Services in two tests determined the federal template produced inaccurate aid and net price estimates 54% of the time often showing institutions to be more expensive than they actually are.</p>