What is free, and what is optional

Searching colleges, reading full profiles, comparing schools, "colleges like this" matching, state pages, the College Fit Quiz and our guides are free. You do not need an account or a card to use them.

• Verified admissions, cost and outcome data from the U.S. Department of Education
• Explainable similar-college matches and side-by-side comparisons
• Backpack to save and share your list (free account)

An optional, in-depth report built from your quiz answers and verified federal data for your best-fit colleges. It is a single purchase, not a subscription.

• Up to 10 best-fit colleges with the reasons each one matched
• Admit rate, SAT/ACT ranges, net price, estimated four-year cost, graduation, retention and earnings
• Reach, target and likely groupings, a comparison table and a cost-versus-earnings view
• A step-by-step action plan and links to each college's official net price calculator

Delivery: the report is a digital product shown on a private web page as soon as your payment is confirmed, usually within a minute, with a designed PDF to download. Your private link stays active for 12 months. Nothing is shipped.

See a sample Premium Fit ReportFictional student →

An optional PDF that applies the published 2026–27 federal aid rules to your situation and up to three colleges you choose. It is offered from our free Pell Grant, loan limit and affordability tools, which stay free.

• Your estimated Pell Grant and its range by enrollment level
• Your federal Direct Loan annual and total limits under the July 1, 2026 rules, with Parent PLUS caps
• Each college's average net price against your federal loans, and the gap left to cover
• Repayment scenarios (10-year payoff, Tiered Standard, RAP) and a debt-to-earnings check using each college's median earnings
• A dated checklist from the FAFSA to enrollment, a glossary and links to every federal source

What it is not: it is not an eligibility letter, a financial aid offer or an approval. It is an estimate based on published federal rules; your college's financial aid office makes the official determination after you file the FAFSA. CollegesRef is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education.

Delivery: a PDF you can download as soon as payment is confirmed, usually within a minute, and a link by email. The private link stays active for 12 months. Same 14-day refund as the report.

See a sample Aid & Loan PlanFictional student →

Reports are generated automatically from U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard) and our published matching rules. Where a report includes a short written interpretation produced with AI, it is labeled as such and may only quote figures that appear in the verified data. If a figure is not reported for a college, the report says so instead of estimating it.

Reports are research tools, not admissions advice, and do not predict or guarantee admission or aid. CollegesRef is independent and not affiliated with the colleges it covers.

Payments are processed by Dodo Payments, our merchant of record, which handles card processing and applicable sales tax or VAT. Prices are in U.S. dollars. CollegesRef never sees or stores your full card details.

Refunds are covered by our refund policy, and personal data by our privacy policy.

Questions about a report or a payment? Email [email protected] with the email you paid with or your report link. We reply within two business days.