How can I compare whether MIT or Brown would be more affordable for my family?

Compare MIT’s and Brown’s official financial-aid offers line by line, using the same family information, rather than comparing tuition or the headline grant alone. Start with each college’s Net Price Calculator, then treat the final aid letters as the deciding figures.

At MIT, look closely at the amount your family is expected to pay from income and assets, along with any expected student contribution from summer earnings. Its estimate may differ from Brown’s because each school evaluates home equity, business ownership, noncustodial-parent information, and unusual income differently.

At Brown, compare the same categories: grant aid, parent contribution, student earnings expectation, health insurance, and billed versus indirect costs. Brown’s financial aid can be especially different for families with circumstances that do not fit neatly on tax forms, such as a recent job loss, divorce, medical costs, or variable self-employment income.

For each offer, calculate the true annual amount your family would need to cover: billed charges minus grants and scholarships, plus realistic costs for books, travel, personal expenses, and any health insurance you need. Do not count work-study as an automatic tuition discount; it is an opportunity to earn wages during the year. If either package relies on financial information that is outdated or incomplete, submit a formal aid appeal with documentation and ask that college to reconsider the specific changed circumstance.