5 planners for college costs, student loans and test scores
Paying for education is a 20-year financial decision made at 18. Sticker prices differ from net prices, loans differ wildly in repayment paths (standard, income-driven, forgiveness-eligible), and the difference between plans is often five figures. The tools here make each fork in that road computable: what four years will actually cost with inflation, what a loan balance means per month under each plan, and when forgiveness programs like PSLF genuinely beat paying the loan down.
Test-takers and planners get utility tools too — SAT/ACT score conversion using the official concordance tables and a scholarship eligibility checker that maps the criteria most awards share. Free, private, no sign-up.
Four-year totals by school type with 4-5% inflation applied, the net-price reality (nobody pays sticker at privates), and the 529 monthly target from your child's age. Open the College Cost →
Payment and total-interest math at real federal rates, the extra-payment accelerator, and the debt-to-first-salary ratio that should govern borrowing. Open the Student Loan →
The forgiveness map after the 2025-26 overhaul: PSLF's 120-payment track, IBR/RAP timelines, teacher programs — matched to your job and loans. Open the Loan Forgiveness →
Profile-to-category matching, the local-beats-national win-rate math, and the FAFSA-first sequencing that unlocks most of the money. Open the Scholarships →
Both-direction conversion from the official College Board/ACT concordance, percentile context, and the which-test-suits-you diagnostic. Open the SAT-ACT Converter →
How to Choose the Right Tool
Before college: the College Cost calculator projects the full multi-year bill (tuition inflation included) and the Scholarship checker maps what aid you can realistically target. After graduation: the Student Loan Repayment calculator compares standard vs income-driven plans side by side, and the Forgiveness estimator tests whether PSLF or IDR forgiveness actually saves money in your case — sometimes it doesn't. The SAT/ACT converter uses the official concordance for apples-to-apples score comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the student loan calculations current?
The tools implement the current federal repayment plan formulas and state their assumptions (interest rates, poverty guidelines for IDR) on the page. Federal rules change; each tool notes its data vintage.
Does the forgiveness estimator guarantee eligibility?
No — it models the published program rules (qualifying payments, employment type). Certification of actual eligibility comes only from your loan servicer and the program itself.
How accurate is the college cost projection?
It uses your chosen school type's current published averages and a tuition-inflation rate you control. It's designed to be realistic about the four-to-five-year total, which sticker prices understate.
Is my information private?
Yes — incomes, balances and scores are processed locally in your browser, never uploaded.
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WiserWork offers 295 free browser-based tools across 22 categories — all private, all free, no sign-up required.