How should I compare the total cost of attending UIUC versus Northeastern?

Start with each school’s official financial-aid offer, not its published cost of attendance. Calculate a “family-paid annual cost” for each: billed charges minus grants and scholarships, plus realistic out-of-pocket costs such as food beyond a meal plan, books, local transportation, health insurance if applicable, and trips home. Northeastern’s Boston location often makes off-campus housing and everyday expenses especially important after the first year.

Check whether any scholarship is renewable and what GPA, enrollment, or residency conditions apply. Also compare your major’s course sequence with a graduation plan; an extra semester can outweigh a modest annual price difference.

Co-op earnings can meaningfully reduce personal expenses, but they are not guaranteed income and should not be treated as a dollar-for-dollar tuition discount. Estimate expected co-op pay conservatively, then subtract taxes, housing, transportation, work clothing, and any costs of living in the co-op city. Confirm whether you will pay tuition, fees, or health-insurance charges during co-op terms and whether you expect to keep a Boston lease.

Use a simple spreadsheet with columns for each academic year or term: tuition and fees, housing and food, travel, personal/academic costs, grants, scholarships, student earnings, and the remaining amount your family would pay or borrow. Keep grants separate from loans: loans reduce the immediate bill but increase the true cost through repayment and interest.

Compare total projected borrowing at graduation, not just the first-year net price.