Net price
What college really costs you: the full cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
Colleges publish a cost of attendance, often called the sticker price. Your net price subtracts only money you don't repay. Loans and work-study help you pay the net price, but they don't lower it.
Comparing schools by net price, not sticker price, often changes which school is cheaper for you.
Example
A school costs $28,000 and offers $9,500 in grants. The net price is $28,000 − $9,500 = $18,500.