How can I compare the affordability of Georgetown and Georgia Tech after financial aid?

Compare the schools using each college’s official financial-aid offer, not the published cost of attendance. Put Georgetown and Georgia Tech’s grants and scholarships against the same set of expenses: tuition and required fees, housing and food, health insurance if applicable, books, travel, and realistic personal costs. The key number is what your family would need to pay or borrow for one full academic year.

Georgetown’s private-university sticker price is likely to be higher, but its need-based grant can substantially change the result for students with demonstrated financial need. Georgia Tech’s price depends heavily on residency: Georgia residents often receive a major tuition advantage, while nonresidents should compare its offer much more closely with Georgetown’s. Do not assume that an out-of-state public option will automatically cost less after Georgetown aid.

Make a simple side-by-side worksheet. Start with each school’s billed charges, then subtract only gift aid, meaning grants and scholarships that do not need repayment. Keep federal work-study separate because it is money you must earn through a job, and list loans separately because they create future debt. Include any renewable merit award, but check the renewal conditions, such as required enrollment status or academic progress.

Also identify costs that may not appear on the bill. For example, compare your expected flights or other trips home, whether a meal plan covers your actual eating habits, health-insurance requirements or waivers, and likely course-material costs for your intended major. At Georgia Tech, an engineering or computing student may have different equipment or course expenses than a student in another field; at Georgetown, living and transportation costs in Washington, D.C., can matter depending on housing and internship plans.

Finally, project the net price over four years. Ask whether grants are guaranteed to renew, whether either school expects annual aid-form updates, and whether tuition and housing typically rise. A lower first-year cost is not necessarily the less expensive degree if aid decreases, a scholarship has conditions, or you need larger loans in later years.