Kappa League • Achievement Planning

College & Money Planner

Plan what school costs, line up free money and jobs, and see the gap you'd need to borrow — plus what loans cost later. 2026 figures built in; every number is editable.

Start here — how this tool works

Hover the small ? circles anywhere in the tool for a plain-English explanation of that field.

1. Pick a path
Open the 4-Year, Community College, or Trade tab and fill in the yearly costs (defaults are already filled).
2. Add free money
Enter scholarships, grants (Pell), a job, family help, and savings. These shrink what you owe.
3. See your gap
The tool shows the gap you'd need to borrow and what that loan costs each month after school.
4. Explore
Use Compare to see paths side by side, Income for job take-home pay, and Savings Goal to start saving now.

Where the "free money" comes from

The single most important step is filing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at studentaid.gov. It's free and it unlocks Pell Grants, federal work-study, and the low-rate federal loans in this tool. It opens each October for the next school year — file as early as you can.

  • Grants & scholarships = free money you never repay. Chase these first.
  • Work-study / a job = money you earn while enrolled.
  • Federal loans = borrowed money at a fixed 6.52% (2026–27), capped at $31,000 total for a dependent undergrad.
  • Private / personal loans = last resort; usually higher, credit-based rates.

Subsidized vs. unsubsidized loans

Subsidized federal loans don't build interest while you're in school — the government covers it. Unsubsidized loans do build interest the whole time, which gets added to what you owe. The Loan Repayment tab lets you see that difference.

Scholarship starting points

Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation scholarships UNCF scholarships The Gates Scholarship Bold.org scholarships Fastweb scholarship search Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

Also check your state's grant agency, your high school counselor, local churches and civic groups, and each college's own scholarship office — a lot of money goes unclaimed every year.

Compare your options

Pulls the numbers you entered on the three cost tabs and lines them up. The "2+2 Transfer" row estimates 2 years of community college, then 2 years at the 4-year school — often the lowest-debt path to a bachelor's degree.

PathTotal costFree money & earningsGap to borrowEst. monthly (10-yr)
Loan estimate uses a 10-year term at 6.52%. Edit any number on the cost tabs and this updates automatically.

Income & Take-Home Pay

Pick your state to auto-fill the 2026 minimum wage and an estimated state tax rate. Change the wage to your actual pay. Taxes shown for a single filer with no dependents.

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Federal tax uses the 2026 single standard deduction ($16,100) and the 10% / 12% brackets. FICA (Social Security + Medicare) is 7.65%. State tax is an approximate flat estimate for a lower-income single filer — real returns vary with deductions and local taxes. Not tax advice.

Loan Repayment Estimator

What a loan actually costs after school. Federal undergraduate Direct Loan rate for 2026–27 is 6.52% — private/personal loans are often higher and depend on credit.

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Rule of thumb: keep total student-loan payments under about 8–10% of your gross monthly income. Federal loans for a dependent undergrad are capped at $31,000 total — anything above comes from Parent PLUS or private lenders (usually higher rates, credit-based).

Savings Goal — start now

See how much to set aside each month between now and your first day of school to shrink the gap. Even small amounts add up.

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Assumes steady monthly deposits earning the rate shown. A real 529 plan may also offer state tax benefits — ask a professional.
Please read — this is an educational tool, not financial advice. This planner is provided by Kappa League as a free estimating tool to help members and families think through the cost of school. Kappa League, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and its mentors and volunteers are not certified financial planners, tax preparers, or licensed financial advisors, and nothing here is financial, tax, or legal advice. Every number is an estimate based on publicly available information as of July 2026 and can change at any time — minimum wages, loan interest rates, grant amounts, and tax rules are updated regularly. Before making any decision about paying for school, taking on loans, or filing taxes, please talk with a licensed financial advisor or tax professional and your school's financial aid office, who can give you current, personalized guidance for your situation.
Figures current as of July 2026 • Verify rates before relying on any result.