How should I compare financial aid value between Georgia Tech and UCLA?

Compare Georgia Tech and UCLA by building a four-year net-cost estimate for each, not by subtracting the “total aid” headline from the published cost of attendance. Start with the billable charges you will actually pay, primarily tuition and mandatory fees plus your chosen housing and meal plan, then subtract only grants and scholarships that do not need to be repaid. Treat loans and work-study separately: they can make the first year payable, but they are not reductions in the price.

Georgia Tech may have a particularly different value depending on whether you qualify for Georgia resident tuition or state programs such as HOPE or Zell Miller. UCLA can be far less expensive for a California resident than for a nonresident, while nonresident students should check carefully whether their UCLA package includes aid that can actually offset the nonresident supplemental tuition. Residency is often more financially decisive here than small differences in scholarship totals.

For each offer, make one line for institutional grants, one for federal or state grants, one for outside scholarships, one for loans, and one for work-study. Subtract the first three categories from your estimated annual cost. Then add realistic personal expenses: airfare or long-distance travel between home and campus, health insurance if you will not remain on a family plan, books and supplies, local transportation, and any expected annual tuition or housing increases.

Also check the renewal terms. Confirm whether each grant is guaranteed for four years, whether it requires a GPA or enrollment threshold, and whether it can change if family finances change. A package with more grant aid in year one may be less valuable than a slightly smaller award that is clearly renewable.

Finally, compare the remaining amount your family can pay from savings or income against the amount you would need to borrow over all four years. The more favorable offer is the one with the lower realistic four-year family contribution and lower required borrowing, not necessarily the one that displays the larger aid total.