<p>I suspect the triggering event that got ucb to start this thread was a poster elsewhere who was very concerned about cost and was adding/dropping colleges from their list based on USNWR aid rankings, but did not seem to have tried the NPCs for those colleges. At least he started this thread a few minutes after he and I both posted to that person that they should use the NPCs. :)</p>
<p>The calculators seem pretty accurate if you plug in the same financial info you provide for the FAFSA and CSS Profile. But if your finances change from then until the fall when you are applying, or if you have a small business, trusts, or are divorced, then the calculators are less reliable.</p>