Building Blocks
This helpful tool gives you a visual display of the elements that make up the ways in which families pay for a college education. Understand the items that go into the expenses for college and the categories of funds that help to meet those expenses, including financial aid and the contributions from the student and family.
See how sources of funding, including financial aid, student loans and the family's contributions, come together to meet the costs of a college education.
View interactive version
This version of the Building Blocks is interactive. Use the "Plus" signs to expand details on each section and see definitions of each kind of financial aid. Learn about additional options for families to pay for college while understanding the federal finanicial aid methodology of calculating how much a family is supposed to contribute to the overall cost of a higher education.
Read text version
A straightforward, text-only version of the Paying for College Building Blocks, suitable for printing.
