How should I compare Duke and Notre Dame for financial aid value?

Run both schools’ net price calculators using exactly the same current information: parent income, assets, home equity, business or farm ownership, number of dependents, and siblings in college. Save the results and compare the estimated annual family contribution, not just the stated scholarship or grant amount. A larger grant can still leave a higher bill if one school calculates your need differently or includes more loans or work expectations.

Examine the offer’s composition once admitted. Separate grants and scholarships, which do not need to be repaid, from federal loans, parent loans, work-study, and outside scholarships.

Also compare four-year value, not only the first-year bill. Ask whether institutional grant aid is expected to continue at a similar level, how aid is recalculated after income or asset changes, and whether either college has a typical annual student contribution.

Do not count on merit scholarships to close a need-based gap. The decisive number is the net cost your family can realistically pay each year for four years, after only dependable grants and scholarships are included.